413 Through Isaac your descendants shall

Through Isaac your descendants shall be named.

In Romans 9 Rav Shaul is concerned for his kinsmen, the Jews whom he tells us in Romans 11 is presently blinded to Yahshua’s identity, so that we the remnant of the lost ten tribes called out of the churches of the world can come in. Once the fullness of those of us who used to believe that we are Gentiles plus a number of real Gentiles have come in, then all Israel from both houses will be saved, because of the promises that YHVH made to our fathers in the faith. It is therefore also fitting that a great deal of what Rav Shaul is telling us here are quoted from prophesies in the Tanach.

We commence our study in verses 1 - 3 of Romans 9, with Rav Shaul saying: ‘I am telling the truth in Messiah, I am not lying, my conscience bearing me witness in the Set-apart Spirit, (2) that I have great sorrow and unceasing grief in my heart. (3) For I could wish that I myself were accursed, separated from Messiah for the sake of my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh. ’The words ‘I could wish’ shows that if it were at all possible Rav Shaul wanted his fellow kinsmen the Jews to also know what Yahshua taught him during the three years he spent in Damascus (as we read from Acts 22: 7 – 10 and Galatians 1: 17 & 18). Rav Shaul has this tremendous struggle with his newly found knowledge that Yahshua specifically came to bring back a remnant of the lost-ten-tribes, using him as a facilitator to reconcile them back to the Father and Brother Judah, also knowing that even if he shares this knowledge with his Jewish kinsmen, they would not or could not believe him, unless the Father opens their minds to Yahshua – something which will only happen at Messiah’s return. At this point we need to consider the parallels of Rav Shaul’s struggle with Moses’ experience recorded in Exodus 32: 9, 10 & 32, in this way: ‘And YHVH said to Moses, “I have seen this people, and behold, they are an obstinate people. (10) Now then let Me alone, that My anger may burn against them, and that I may destroy them; and I will make of you a great nation.” (32) “But now, if Thou wilt, forgive their sin—and if not, please blot me out from Thy book (meaning the book of life) which Thou hast written!”

If we understood that Rav Shaul, like Yahshua was specifically called to work with us the lost ten tribes, as Yahshua instructed him in Acts 26: 14 – 18, saying: ‘And when we had all fallen to the ground, I heard a voice saying to me in the Hebrew dialect, “Shaul, Shaul, why are you persecuting Me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.” (15) And I said, “Who art Thou, Mater?” And the Master said, “I am Yahshua whom you are persecuting. (16) But arise, and stand on your feet; for this purpose I have appeared to you, to appoint you a minister and a witness not only to the things which you have seen(Torah), but also to the things in which I will appear to you(the things Yahshua will teach Shaul); (17) delivering you from the Jewish people and from the Gentiles, to whom I am sending you, (18) to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the dominion of Satan to Elohim, in order that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith in Me.”’ The point is that only Yahshua who was YHVH in the flesh qualified as an innocent substitute who could be forsaken by YHVH on behalf of others as witnessed in Mark 15: 34, in this way: ‘And at the ninth hour Yahshua cried out with a loud voice, “ELOI, ELOI, LAMA SABACHTHANI?” which is translated, “MY EL, MY EL, WHY HAST THOU FORSAKEN ME?” Yahshua did this once for all as recorded in Hebrews 7: 26 & 27, as follows: ‘For it was fitting that we should have such a high priest, holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners and exalted above the heavens; (27) who does not need daily, like those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for His own sins, and then for the sins of the people, because this He did once for all when He offered Himself.’

Rav Shaul continues talking about his Jewish kinsfolk saying in verse 4 of Romans 9: ‘Who are Israelites, to whom belongs the adoption as sons and the glory and the covenants and the giving of the Law and the (Levitical timing of the) temple (worship) service and the promises (of eventual salvation and to live in the Promised Land for- ever– meaning as spiritual sons and daughters of Elohim).’ Rav Shaul clearly shows here that the Jews, and more specifically the Levites who are amongst them are entrusted with the duty to proclaim (YHVH)’s annual Set-apart Days as we are also told in Deuteronomy 33: 8 – 11 and Malachi 2: 1 – 8. Because Rav Shaul personally met and got to know Yahshua the Messiah on an individual level, he was given a 360 degree vision of Elohim’s plan of salvation for all mankind. Rav Shaul was given all knowledge – the sort of thing that is only beginning to happen to those whom YHVH has called out of the religions of the world, and he obviously wanted his fellow Jews to have this same vision and knowledge, but knew that that will only happen when Yahshua returns one day on Yom Teruah. Rav Shaul could not share with His fellow Jews what I wrote in the previous chapter, i.e. that Yahshua is the power of Elohim – something they will find out later. It is also for this reason that Rav Shaul was misunderstood by both houses of Israel. Rav Shaul tells us in verse 5 that these promises (5) ‘whose are the fathers(in the faith), and from whom is the Messiah according to the flesh, who is over all, Elohim blessed forever. Amein. ’Yes, even though Yahshua is Abraham’s descendant, He is also Elohim in the flesh, the door giving us access to Elohim’s Kingdom.

Next Rav Shaul is telling us about the work that he was instructed to do by Yahshua. Even though YHVH chose Judah whom He loved, He ‘desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth’, as quoted from first Timothy 2: 4. Continuing therefore in verses 6 - 8 of Romans 9, Shaul says: ‘But it is not as though the word of Elohim has failed. For they are not all Israel who are descended from Israel; (7) neither are they all children because they are Abraham’s descendants, but: “THROUGH ISAAC YOUR DESCENDANTS WILL BE NAMED.(8) That is, it is not the children of the flesh who are children of Elohim, but the children of the promise are regarded as descendants.” The failure of our forebears the Israelites to repent did not mean YHVH had not kept His promises, as Rav Shaul puts it in Romans 11: 17 – 23, in this way: ‘But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive, were grafted in among them and became partaker with them of the rich root of the olive tree, (18) do not be arrogant toward the branches; but if you are arrogant, remember that it is not you who supports the root, but the root supports you. (19) You will say then, “Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.” (20) Quite right, they were broken off for their unbelief, but you stand by your faith. Do not be conceited, but fear; (21) for if Elohim did not spare the natural branches, neither will He spare you.(22) ’Behold then the kindness and severity of Elohim (Gevurah or power of Elohim, namely Yahshua)[1]; to those who fell severity, but to you, Elohim’s kindness, if you continue in His kindness(Chesed or the fruit of the Spirit); otherwise you also will be cut off. (23) And they also, if they do not continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in; for Elohim is able to graft them in again.’

True Israel is not only those descended from Abraham, but anyone who lives and acts in accordance with the covenants made with Israel. We are seeing now that true Israel is, just as at the Exodus, others from outside who join them are considered just as much Israelites as the native-born ones. This is why YHVH said through Moses in both Exodus 12: 49 and Numbers 15: 15 & 16, ‘The same law shall apply to the native as to the stranger who sojourns among you.’ (Num. 15: 15 & 16) ‘As for the assembly, there shall be one statute for you and for the alien who sojourns with you, a perpetual statute throughout your generations; as you are, so shall the alien before YHVH. (16) There is to be one law and one ordinance for you and for the alien who sojourns with you.’In fact Rav Shaul is mainly addressing non-Jewish Israel and some real Gentiles who join themselves to Israel in this section of the book of Romans. Undoubtedly most were indeed descended from Israel, in part, as Hosea tells us in Hosea 7: 8 but also as YHVH said to Himself about Abraham in Genesis 18: 17 & 18, in this way: “Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do, (18) since Abraham will surely become a great and mighty nation, and in him all of the nations of the earth will be blessed?” The Hebrew word used for blessed here is transliterated as ‘Nivrachu’ and can mean either blessed or mixed. Therefore those who were identifiable as Israel were not the entirety of the holy nation. But, what must be understood from Romans 7 is that the promises applied in (YHVH)’s eyes had now narrowed to the children of Isaac alone, i.e. not Ismael.

The words ‘children of the flesh’ in verse 8 is talking about those born by natural planning only, not by miraculous appointment as mentioned in Galatians 4: 22, 23 & 29, as follows: ‘For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the bondwoman and one by the free woman. (23) But the son by the bondwoman was born according to the flesh, and the son by the free woman through the promise. (29) But as at that time he who was born according to the flesh persecuted him who was born according to the Spirit, so it is now also.” As I mentioned in a recent sermon Esau is known by our Jewish Brothers to be Rome, and since Esau is stronger than Jacob (in this case meaning non-Jewish Israel), he has held him in a joke of bondage for the past 2,000 years since the beginning of the Roman church. Continuing in verse 9 - 13 of Romans 9RavShaul wrote: ‘For this is a word of promise: “AT THIS TIME I WILL COME, AND SARAH SHALL HAVE A SON.” (10) And not only this, but there was Rebekah also, when she had conceived twins by one man, our Father Isaac; (11) for though the twins were not yet born, and had not done anything good or bad, in order that Elohim’s purpose according to His choice might stand, not because of works, but because of Him who calls, (12) it was said to her, “THE OLDER WILL SERVE THE YOUNGER.” (13) Just as it is written, “JACOB I LOVED, BUT ESAU I HATED.” Verse 10 narrows the scope of the promise further, even dividing between a set of twins whose bloodline was exactly the same, still only one of them was considered Abraham’s true seed. Verse 13 is quoted from Malachi 1: 2 – 4, where YHVH says through Malachi: ‘I have loved you’, says YHVH. But you say, “How hast Thou loved us?” “Was not Esau Jacob’s brother?” declares YHVH. “Yet I have loved Jacob; (3) but I have hated Esau, and I have made his mountains a desolation, and appointed his inheritance for the jackals of the wilderness.” (4) Though Edom says, “We have been beaten down, but we will return and build up the ruins”; thus says YHVH of hosts, “They may build, but I will tear down; and men will call them the wicked territory, and the people toward whom YHVH is indignant forever.’ The Roman Church has been misleading (YHVH)’s people from the start, and this is why He will ultimately have it destroyed, before Messiah’s return.

With knowing all this, Rav Shaul asks in verse 14 of Romans 9: ‘What shall we say then? There is no injustice with Elohim, is there? May it never be!’ He answers the question in verses 15 – 18, in this way: ‘For He says to Moses, “I WILL HAVE MERCY (grant favor or befriend) ON WHOM I HAVE MERCY, AND I WILL HAVE COMPASSION ON WHOM I HAVE COMPASSION.”(16) So then it does not depend on the man who wills or the man who runs, but on Elohim who has mercy.(17) For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, “FOR THIS VERY PURPOSE I RAISED YOU UP, TO DEMONSTRATE MY POWER IN YOU, AND THAT MY NAME MIGHT BE PROCLAIMED THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE EARTH.” (An antagonist was needed to highlight the real life drama of what happened to Israel in Egypt, so that (YHVH)’s acts would stand out vividly and would be impressive enough to be published widely – so He raised-up Pharaoh for His purpose) (18) So then He has mercy on whom He desires, and He hardens whom He desires.’After people have made choices to ignore YHVH, as Pharaoh did He facilitates the continued hardening of their hearts, so that if they per chance have a change of heart, after being given all truth during the second resurrection, they will be saved. The words ‘depends on’ in verse 16 shows that the calling is not within the reach of everyone, but only the ones to whom YHVH grants favor. The fact that YHVH would not give everyone an equal opportunity at this time, sounds grossly unfair to our modern ears. But YHVH is not calling everyone at this time as Yahshua Himself explained in Matthew 13: 11, 12 & 19, as follows: ‘And He answered and said to them, “To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been granted. (12) For whoever has, to him shall more be given, and he shall have an abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has shall be taken away from him. (19) When anyone hears the word of the kingdom, and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is the one on whom seed was sown beside the road.’

He is at this time only calling the first-fruits of His harvest of Human lives[2], and will after the second resurrection open the Scriptures to the minds of the rest of Mankind, at which time the knees of everyone who ever lived will bow before Yahshua. Obviously, those who won’t after they have been given all knowledge, will be burnt to become ashes under the feet of the righteous, as explained in Malachi 4: 1 – 3, ‘For behold, the day is coming(after the great white throne judgment as per Revelation 20: 14 & 15), burning like a furnace; and all the arrogant and every evildoer will be chaff; and the day that is coming will set them ablaze’, says YHVH of hosts, “so that it will leave them neither root nor branch(they will be consumed by fire – not burn forever).” (2) But for you who fear My name the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings; and you will go forth and skip about like calves from the stall. (3) And you will tread down the wicked, for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet on the day which I am preparing, says YHVH of hosts.’Rav Shaul continues his questioning and answering methodology to teach us in verse 19 – 24 of Romans 9. He carries on in verse 19, saying: ‘You will say to me then, “Why does He still find fault? For who resists His will?” If YHVH wanted it to turn out that way, then how can He still punish Pharaoh for doing what He wanted done anyway? If everything that ends up taking place is a result of His predetermination, how can anyone be considered guilty? This is all according to (YHVH)’s plan of salvation for all mankind. Since YHVH is at this time only calling His first fruits; only those of us called during this age gets given knowledge to enable us to be born-again as spiritual children of YHVH (similar to the way Yahshua was born-again as the Son of Elohim by the resurrection from the dead, as we are told in Romans 1: 4) provided we qualify.

The rest of mankind including Pharaoh will be given that same opportunity as explained in Isaiah 25: 7 – 9, as follows: ‘And on this mountain He will swallow up the covering which is over all peoples. Even the veil which is stretched over all nations. (8) He will swallow up death for all time, and YHVH Elohim will wipe tears away from all faces, and He will remove the reproach of His people from all the earth; for YHVH has spoken. (9) And it will be said in that day, “Behold, this is our Elohim for whom we have waited that He might save us. This is YHVH for whom we have waited; let us rejoice and be glad in His salvation.” ’What is described here is what will happen during the second resurrection during the period known as the great white throne judgment which will last a period of one hundred years as explained in Isaiah 65: 17 – 20: ‘For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth, and the former things shall not be remembered or come to mind. (18) But be glad and rejoice forever in what I create; for behold, I create Jerusalem for rejoicing, and her people for gladness. (19) I will also rejoice in Jerusalem, and be glad in My people; and there will no longer be heard in her the voice of weeping and the sound of crying. (20) No longer will there be in it an infant who lives but a few days, or an old man who does not live out his days; for the youth will die at the age of one hundred and the one who does not reach the age of one hundred shall be thought accursed.’

But before we carry on, I need to show those who believe that it will only be us who are called out of the churches of the world, who will make it into the kingdom as kings and priests under Yahshua, that they are wrong. I mentioned earlier that YHVH has at this time blinded the minds of our Jewish Brothers, so that those of us whom He is calling during this age through Messiah can come in, and until the fullness of the Gentiles (meaning those of us who believed we are Gentiles and a number of real Gentiles) have come in, then all Israel (including the house of Judah) will be saved, as may be read from Romans 11: 25 – 27. We are given the reason for this in Romans 11: 28 & 32, as follows: ‘From the standpoint of the gospel they (Judah) are enemies for your sake, but from the standpoint of Elohim’s choice that are beloved for the sake of the fathers. (32) For Elohim has shut up all in disobedience that He might show mercy to all.’ But, when will those Jews who remain faithful to Torah be saved? On Yom Teruah or Rosh Hashanah of course. That is when Messiah will return to earth at the sound of the last trumpet, and to save the House of Judah first as witnessed in Zechariah 12: 7 – 10, in this way: ‘YHVH also will save the tents of Judah first in order that the glory of the house of David and the glory of the inhabitants of Jerusalem may not be magnified above Judah. (8) In that day YHVH will defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and the one who is feeble among them in that day will be like David, and the house of David will be like Elohim, like the angel of YHVH before them. (9) And it will come about in that day that I will set about to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem. (10) And I will pour out on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the Spirit of grace (it is by grace that we are saved, meaning that at this time YHVH will save our Jewish Brother) and of supplication, so that they will look on Me whom they have pierced; and they will mourn for Him as one mourns for an only son, and they will weep bitterly over Him, like the bitter weeping over a first-born.’ The fact that Yahshua when the Pharisees saw Him sitting at table with the tax-gatherers and sinners asked His disciples why He eats with such people, told them in Matthew 9: 12, “It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick” as well as the fact that He said in Matthew 15: 24, ‘I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel’ are clear indications that the house of Judah are not lost, but will be saved when He returns one day, when they accept Him as their Master and Savior.

RavShaul answers his own questions asked in verse 19 of Romans 9 with more questions in verses 20 -22 , saying: ‘On the contrary, who are you, O man, who answers back to Elohim? The thing molded will not say to the molder, “Why did you make me like this,” will it?” (21) Or does not the potter have a right over the clay, to make from the same lump one vessel for honorable use, and another for common use? (22) What is Elohim, although willing to demonstrate His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction? The term power used here refers to Yahshua as the right hand and power of Elohim, as used in Exodus 6: 6, where YHVH said to Moses: “Say, therefore, to the sons of Israel, I am YHVH, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will deliver you from their bondage, I will also redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great judgments.” At this point Rav Shaul tells us why YHVH is doing all of what he is doing according to his plan of salvation, saying in verses 23 – 26 of Romans 9: ‘And He did so in order that He might make known the riches of His glory upon vessels of mercy, which He prepared beforehand for glory,(24) even us, whom He also called, not from among Jews only, but also from among the Gentiles.(The word Gentiles often refers to the lost ten tribes of Israel, since they were still considered to have some Israelite blood running through their veins, despite having been mixed into the nations – but until Messiah’s return they will not be considered to be fully part of Israel by brother Judah.) (25) As He says also in Hosea, “I WILL CALL THOSE WHO WERE NOT MY PEOPLE, ‘MY PEOPLE,’ AND HER WHO WAS NOT BELOVED, ‘BELOVED.’”(26) “AND IT SHALL BE THAT IN THE PLACE WHERE IT WAS SAID TO THEM, ‘YOU ARE NOT MY PEOPLE,’ THERE THEY SHALL BE CALLED SONS OF THE LIVING ELOHIM. ”These prophesies of Isaiah were directed specifically at the house of Israel. So they were not those who never knew YHVH, but those whose ancestors had once been His people, but no longer wanted to be. Even so, YHVH made many promises through the prophets to bring their descendants back to Himself, because of this sovereign choice He had made that Ephraim is His first born.

Rav Shaul tells us that according to what Isaiah prophesied, only a remnant from both houses will be saved as first fruits, in verses 27& 28, saying: ’And Isaiah cries out concerning Israel, “THOUGH THE NUMBER OF THE SONS OF ISRAEL BE AS THE SAND OF THE SEA, IT IS THE REMNANT THAT WILL BE SAVED; (28) FOR YHVH WILL EXECUTE HIS WORD UPON THE EARTH, THOROUGHLY AND QUICKLY.” The remnant of Israel will be composed of those called out of the world at this time, who qualifies in the end, and the remnant of Judah will comprise those who remain Torah observant to the end. At this point Rav Shaul wants us to realize the importance of what he taught so far, by saying in verse 29 – 31, ‘And just as Isaiah foretold, “EXCEPT YHVH SABAOTH HAD LEFT TO US A POSTERITY, WE WOULD HAVE BECOME AS SODOM, AND WOULD HAVE RESEMBLED GOMORRAH.”(The posterity or seed spoken about here is the same seed mentioned in Galatians 3: 16, namely Yahshua.) (30) ‘What shall we say then? That Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, attained righteousness, even the righteousness which is by faith.’ The words ‘did not pursue righteousness’ shows that the lost ten tribes had chosen to be Gentiles, but YHVH still had promises to fulfill to their ancestors, and so He called them (including us) back into the common wealth of Israel, and as it has played out, it is often against the will of the individuals called. But having once been Israel, they still had an obligation to YHVH, which their parents had promised at Mount Sinai. The word ‘attained’ therefore means that they almost stumbled upon it, overtaken by faith – trusting the fact that Yahshua had paid the way for those who had not all along been fulfilling their part of the covenant with YHVH.

To conclude we read from verses 31 – 33, in this way: ‘but Israel, pursuing a law of righteousness, did not arrive at that law. (Rav Shaul is using the term Israel here in the same way most people are using it today – meaning mostly the tribes of Judah, Benjamin and Levi.) (32) Why? Because they did not pursue it by faith, but as though it were by works. They stumbled over the stumbling stone,(33) just as it is written, “BEHOLD, I LAY IN ZION A STONE OF STUMBLING AND A ROCK OF OFFENSE, AND HE WHO BELIEVES IN HIM WILL NOT BE DISSAPOINTED.” YHVH is saying here that He placed in Zion a stone, a rock that hinders or obstructs – a scandal placed in ones way to entrap you or to make you stumble. The fact that the stone of stumbling; the rock of offense is Yahshua who is YHVH in the flesh only makes us stumble, means that it is not there to make us fall forever. Those of us who do not stumble over the Rock of our salvation at this time, are already a kingdom of priests, asRavKepha wrote in first Peter 2: 8 & 9, Brother Judah will stop stumbling when Messiah returns, and the eyes of the survivors of the great tribulation and their children will be opened during the Millennium rule of Messiah, whilst the rest of mankind’s eyes will be opened during the hundred year period of the great white throne judgment, thus ensuring (YHVH)’s desire to save all mankind as mentioned in I Timothy 2: 4. Bless the name of YHVH for revealing His truths to us at this time. Halleluyah!

[1]Yochanan the immerser speaking about Yahshua in Matthew 4: 11 & 12, said: “As for me, I immerse you with water for repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, and I am not fit to remove His sandals; he will immerse you with the Set-apart Spirit and fire. And His winnowing fork is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clear His threshing floor; and He will gather His wheat into the barn, but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.’ So we see that it is not Satan who will throw the rebels into the unquenchable fire, but Yahshua the power (Gevurah or severity) of Elohim.

[2]Those of us called at this time are first fruits according to James 1: 18, in this way: ‘In the exercise of His will He brought us forth by the word of truth, so that we might be as it were, the first fruits among His creatures.”