30 The house of Judah as Lawgiver | nazareneisrael2house

The house of Judah as Lawgiver.

By Yaakov Coetzee

The books of Kings and Chronicles are historic records of how the Kingdom of Israel became divided into the house of Judah and the house of Israel, because of the sins of King Solomon, as recorded in first Kings 11: 8 – 12, as follows: ‘Thus also he did for all his foreign wives, who burned incense and sacrificed to their gods. (9) Now YHVH was angry with Solomon because his heart was turned away from YHVH, the Elohim of Israel, who had appeared to him twice, (10) and had commanded him concerning this thing, that he should not go after other gods; but he did not observe what YHVH had commanded. (11) So YHVH said to Solomon, “Because you have done this, and you have not kept My covenant and My statutes, which I have commanded you, I will surely tear the kingdom from you, and will give it to your servant. (12) Nevertheless I will not do it in your days for the sake of your father David, but I will tear it out of the hand of your son.”’

However, even those who profess to ‘know the Bible’ seldom ever read these important books with understanding, and as a result knowledge about this vital key to unlock closed doors of Scriptural prophesy has been ‘lost’. Very few today are aware that Israel and Judah are not two names for the same nation. They were, are and shall be until the second coming of Messiah two separate nations. The house of Judah, consisting of the tribes of Judah, Benjamin and Levi has always been known as Jews. This division is vitally important to understand prophesy. The kingdom of Israel split into two opposing factions, namely Israel consisting of Ten Tribes, with their capitol city Shechem and Judah or the ‘Jews’ with their capitol city Jerusalem. After Solomon’s death his son, Rehoboam reigned in his place. King Solomon ruled the united nation of Israel (all twelve tribes) for forty years. During his reign, the nation lived very well, since he placed a heavy tax burden on the citizens of Israel, allowing them to dominate their neighbors both economically and militarily. But, the heavy tax burden caused significant resentment among the citizens of Israel. Because of Jeroboam’s effective administration over the forced labor in Israel, the nation called upon him to be their spokesman to try and lighten the tax burden under Rehoboam, so he approached King Rehobaom as recorded in first Kings 12: 4, saying to him: “Your father made our yoke hard; therefore lighten the hard service of your father and his heavy yoke which he put on us, and we will serve you.” Rehoboam required some time to consider the nation’s request through Jeroboam and told them to return three days later.

Rehoboam consulted with the elders who served under his father, who advised him in verse 7 of first Kings 12, saying: “If you will be a servant to this people today, will serve them, grant them their petition, and speak good words to them, then they will be your servants forever.” But, Rehoboam did not listen to the counsel of the elders, but consulted with the young men who grew up with him. Their advice is recorded in verses 10 & 11 as follows: “Thus you shall say to this people who spoke to you, saying, ‘Your father made our yoke heavy, now you make it lighter for us!’ But you shall speak to them. ‘My little finger is thicker than my father’s loins! (11) Whereas my father loaded you with a heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke; my father disciplined you with whips, but I will discipline you with scorpions.’” When the nation of Israel realized that Rehoboam did not listen to them they answered the king, as recorded in verse 16 of 1 Kings 12, in this way, saying: ‘“What portion do we have in David? We have no inheritance in the son of Jesse; to your tents, O Israel! Now look after your own house, David!” So Israel departed to their tents.’ Israel subsequently made Jeroboam king over all Israel and none but the tribe of Judah followed the house of David.

Reading from first Chronicles 28: 3 - 5, we see that in the days of David, the Kingdom of Elohim meant the kingdom over Israel, as follows: “But Elohim said to me, ‘You shall not build a house for My name because you are a man of war and have shed blood.’ (4) Yet, YHVH, the Elohim of Israel, chose me from all the house of my father to be king over Israel (both houses) forever. For He has chosen Judah to be a leader; and in the house of Judah, my father’s house, and among the sons of my father He took pleasure in me to make me king over all Israel. (5) And of all my sons (for YHVH has given me many sons), He has chosen my son Solomon to sit on the throne of the kingdom of YHVH over Israel.” When Jeroboam rejected the house of David, to rule over Israel, he essentially rejected the kingdom of Elohim over Israel, and as a result only Judah remained in the Kingdom of Elohim. Part of the fulfilment of Jacob’s blessing of Judah (in Genesis 49: 10) to be Israel’s lawgiver, until the Messiah comes to rule the world from Jerusalem, to remain an on-going, identifiable tribe who would be responsible to guard Elohim’s Torah over the ages. This blessing of the tribe of Judah is confirmed in 2 Chronicles 13: 4 & 5, in this way: ‘Then Abijah stood on Mount Zemaraim, which is in the hill country of Ephraim, and said, “Listen to me, Jeroboam and all Israel: (5) “Do you not know that YHVH Elohim of Israel gave the rule over Israel forever to David and his sons by a covenant of salt?” Elohim’s purpose for retaining the tribe of Judah is aptly explained in first Kings 11: 34, in this way: ‘Nevertheless I will not take the whole kingdom out of his hand, but I will make him ruler all the days of his life, for the sake of My servant David whom I chose, who observed My commandments, and My statutes.’

Because of fear that the nation of Israel might return to Judah because they are commanded to keep the Feast Days of Elohim in Jerusalem, immediately after becoming king over Israel, he set up two golden calves introducing idol worship in Israel, as witness in first Kings 12: 28 – 33, in this way: ‘So the king consulted, and made two golden calves, and he said to them, “It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem; behold your gods, O Israel, that brought you up from the land of Egypt.” (29) And he set one in Bethel, and the other he put in Dan. (30) Now this thing became a sin, for the people went to worship before the one as far as Dan. (31) And he made houses on high places, and made priests from among all the people who were not of the sons of Levi. (32) And Jeroboam instituted a feast in the eighth month on the fifteenth day of the month, like the feast which is in Judah, and he went up to the altar; thus he did in Bethel, sacrificing to the calves which he had made. And he stationed in Bethel the priests of the high places which he had made. (33) Then he went up to the altar which he had made in Bethel on the fifteenth day in the eighth month, even in the month which he had devised in his own heart; and he instituted a feast for the sons of Israel, and went up to the altar to burn incense.’ All this sounds so typical of most of the modern day returning ten tribers, who rather follow the Karaite calendar, because they reject Judah as Elohim’s lawgiver, insisting on having their own separate identity, no matter whether they are right or wrong!

Most reject the preponderance of evidence given in the Scriptures that Judah is Elohim’s lawgiver, the most conspicuous being in Psalm 78: 67 & 68; Zechariah 8: 23; and Jeremiah 31: 31 – 33 quoted below:

Psalm 78: 67 & 68: ‘He also rejected the tent of Joseph, and did not choose the tribe of Ephraim, (68) but chose the tribe of Judah, Mount Zion which He loved.’
Zechariah 8: 23: ‘Thus says YHVH of hosts, “In those days ten men from all the nations will grasp the garment of a Jew saying, ‘Let us go with you, for we have heard that Elohim is with you.’”’
Jeremiah 31: 31 – 33: “Behold days are coming,” declares YHVH, “when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah, (32) not like the covenant which I made with their fathers in the day I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, although I was a husband to them,” declares YHVH. (33) “But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days,” declares YHVH, “I will put My law within them, and on their heart I will write it; and I will be their Elohim, and they shall be My people.” Notice that even though YHVH will remarry both houses of Israel again, He will only have to write His Torah on the hearts and minds of the house of Israel, since the house of Judah has always been Torah observant!

Since the house of Israel has been estranged from the house of Judah and its authority as Elohim’s lawgiver for more than 2, 730 years, it has become difficult to understand and accept these truths, but hidden in these books is another prophecy in 2 Chronicles 15: 3 -7, as follows: “And for many days Israel was without the true Elohim and without a teaching priest and without law. (4) But in their distress they turned to YHVH Elohim of Israel, and they sought Him, and He let them find Him. (This timing of when this will happen is explained in Deuteronomy 4: 29 & 30[1]) (5) And in those times there was no peace to him who went out or to him who came in, for many disturbances afflicted all the inhabitants of the lands. (6) And nation was crushed by nation, and city by city, for Elohim troubled them with every kind of distress. (7) But you, be strong and do not lose courage, for there is reward for your work.” Some of the more arrogant ten tribers will try to insinuate that these verses are only about Judah, but any sensible reader will understand in the context of previous chapters, verses 1 – 3 are during a time when Israel and Judah were at war, which left Israel without Torah, Elohim and priests. However, in the light of prophecies in the Tanach Israel and Judah will become one nation, when Messiah returns and King David will rule them once again in the foreseeable future. This leaves us from the returning ten tribes with an important decision; are we going to keep Elohim’s Feast Days according to the Hebrew calendar, or are we going to continue to do our own thing, despite the warning in Malachi 2: 1 – 8, as follows: “And now, this commandment is for you, O priests. (2) If you do not listen, and if you do not take it to heart to give honor to My name, says YHVH of hosts, “then I will send the curse upon you, and I will curse your blessings; and indeed, I have cursed them, already, because you are not taking it to heart. (3) Behold, I am going to rebuke your offspring, and I will spread refuse on your faces, the refuse of your feasts; and you will be taken away with it. (4) Then you will know that I have sent this commandment to you, that My covenant may continue with Levi,” says YHVH of hosts. (5) My covenant with him was one of life and peace, and I gave them to him as an object of reverence; so he revered Me, and stood in awe of My Name. (6) True instruction was in his mouth, and unrighteousness was not found on his lips; he walked with Me in peace and uprightness, and he turned many back from iniquity.(7) For the lips of a priest should preserve knowledge, and men should seek instruction from his mouth; for he is the messenger of YHVH of hosts. (8) But as for you, you have turned aside from the way; you have caused many to stumble by the instruction; you have corrupted the covenant of Levi,” says YHVH of hosts.”

When Messiah comes to rule the world from Jerusalem some of us from the lost ten tribes will also become priests and Levites, but we will not totally replace the house of Judah in their role as priests and Levites, as witnessed in Isaiah 66: 20 & 21, in this way: ‘“Then they shall bring all your brethren from all the nations as a grain offering (first fruits) to YHVH, on horses, in chariots, in litters, on mules, and on camels to My holy mountain (Government) Jerusalem,” says YHVH, “just as the sons of Israel bring their grain offering in a clean vessel to the house of YHVH. (21) I will also take some of them for priests and for Levites,” says YHVH.’ However, the truth of the matter is that some ten tribers are so arrogant, that any number of witnesses will not convince them that the only calendar used other than the one instituted by the Roman Empire - the Gregorian calendar in use throughout the western world (set-up in opposition to the calendar that YHVH ordained, as prophesied by Daniel in Daniel 9: 25), is the Hebrew calendar. It is perhaps for this reason that Yahshua in the parable of the ten virgins in Matthew 25, foretold that only half of the ten tribers will in the end be keeping the Feast of Tabernacles with our Jewish Brothers at His return. Yes, the Scriptures even witness to the fact that when Yahshua returns one day in the near future on Yom Teruah, He will save the tents of Judah first, as recorded in Zechariah 12: 7 – 10, as follows: “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 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.” In fact this is also confirmed in the book of Hosea where Hosea wrote in chapter 3: 4 & 5 saying: ‘For the sons of Israel will remain for many days without king or prince, without sacrifice or sacred pillar, and without ephod or household idols. (5) Afterward the sons of Israel will return and seek YHVH their Elohim and David their king; and they will come trembling to YHVH and to His goodness in the last days.’ The question is: Are you and your group going to be there when Messiah comes one day when our Jewish Brothers will be in their synagogues keeping Yom Teruah (or Rosh Hashanah as they refer to it), or will you continue to keep it a day or two later according to your own, ‘more accurate’ devised calendar?

Yes, we from the lost ten tribes of Israel will eventually have to join Brother Judah, if we want to make it into Elohim’s coming Kingdom over the united Israel, as confirmed in Isaiah 11: 10 – 13, in this way: ‘Then it will come about in that day that the nations will resort to the root of Jesse, who will stand as a signal for the peoples; and His resting place will be glorious. (11) Then it will happen on that day that YHVH will again recover the second time with His hand the remnant of His people, who will remain, from Assyria, Egypt, Pathros, Cush, Elam, Shinar, Hamath, and from the islands of the sea. (12) And He will lift up a standard for the nations, and will assemble the banished ones of Israel (this confirms Yahshua’s main purpose as the image of Elohim, the One we from the lost ten tribes have to hold up as our standard), and will gather the dispersed of Judah (those Jews who were Christianized in Portugal, Germany and other parts of Europe during the middle ages) from the four corners of the earth. (13) Then the jealousy of Ephraim will depart, and those who harass Judah will be cut off; Ephraim will not be jealous of Judah, and Judah will not harass Ephraim.’ But, why are the returning ten tribers against Judah? Most are against to Oral Torah. The question is, did Yahshua obey the Oral Torah? Messiah’s teachings in Matthew 5 did not deviate from the teachings of the Pharisaic sages, since there are many Talmudic parallels to these teachings. Only those set-apart (by immersion into Yahshua’s saving name) are able to live strictly according to Messiah’s teachings.

Messiah taught that avoidance of a particular negative command is not sufficient for true righteousness in the Kingdom of Elohim. The proper inner condition of faithfulness would be the root for the appropriate outward deed. He expands the commandment not to murder to include anger without cause and the command not to commit adultery to include not to lust after women. There is suitable evidence that Yahshua forbid divorce in all situations, the exception being for immorality and adultery. His teaching on oaths merely entails that anyone who has to back up his words with an oath is already considering the possibility of breaking it. His teaching on an ‘eye for an eye’ simply means that the punishment should meet the crime and in the Hebraic mind it refers to monetary compensation for an injury - it is not interpreted literally as Christianity wants one to believe. Notice what Yahshua said: “You have heard that it was said (not written).” Every one of His teachings in Matthew 5 is within the context of Torah as given to Moses. Few realize that Yahshua’s interpretation of Torah is within the parameters of the teachings of traditional Judaism of His time.

Let’s consider Messiah’s teachings in Matthew 5 with parallel teachings in the Tanach and the Talmud by comparing (to keep the lesson to a reasonable length I will only mention the comparative Scripture from the Tanach and the Talmud):

Matthew 5: 3, “Blessed are the poor (or humble) in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” with Proverbs 29: 23, “A man’s pride will bring him low, but a humble spirit will obtain honor.”
Matthew 5: 4, “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted” with Psalm 147: 3
Matthew 5: 5, “Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth” with Psalm 37: 11.
Matthew 5: 6, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied” with Psalm 5: 12.
Matthew 5: 7, “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy” with Talmud Shabbat 151b.
Matthew 5: 8, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see Elohim” with Psalm 24: 3 - 4
Matthew 5: 9, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of Elohim” with Psalm 34: 15.
Matthew 5: 10, “Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” and Matthew 5: 11, “Blessed are you when men cast insults at you, and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely, on account of Me” with Talmud, Baba Kamma 93a.
Matthew 5: 23 & 24, “If therefore you are presenting your offering at the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your offering there before the altar, and go your way; first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and present your offering” with Talmud, Avot 5: 14.
Matthew 5: 27 & 28, “You have heard that it was said, ‘YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT ADULTARY’; but I say to you, that everyone who looks on a woman to lust for her has committed adultery with her already in his heart’ with Exodus 20: 14 and Talmud, Kallah 1.
Matthew 5: 31 & 32, “And it was said, ‘WHOEVER DIVORCES HIS WIFE, LET HIM GIVE HER A CERTIFICATE OF DISMISSAL’’ but I say to you that everyone who divorces his wife, except for the cause of un-chastity, makes her commit adultery; and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery” with Talmud, Gitten 90a.
Matthew 5: 42, “Give to him who asks of you, and do not turn away from him who wants to borrow from you’ with Psalm 37: 21 & 26.
Matthew 5: 43 & 44, “You have heard that it was said, ‘YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR, and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you” with Proverbs 25: 21.
Matthew 5: 48, “Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect” with Leviticus 19: 2 and Talmud Shabbat 133b.

Yahshua’s teachings developed a systematic interpretation for sanctification of everyday life for His disciples, but also for us His modern day disciples. It is a practical system demanding a very high standard of personal self-discipline and commitment to Him as our Master. Yahshua taught that there must be a purification of inward motives for Torah observance – we obey Torah because we know and therefore love Elohim. The spiritual condition of a person is reflected by outward actions. Even though some teachers who are associated with the Karaite movement teach that Messiah and His disciples were much like the Karaites, since they rejected the Oral Torah of the Pharisees, the following examples disprove this idea:

Yahshua said in Matthew 8: 14 & 15 that it is wrong to fast in the presence of a bridegroom – the Scriptures say nothing in this regard. However the Talmud (Oral Torah) teaches this in Talmud Bavli, Tractate Sukkah 25b and Talmud Tosefta, Tractate Berakhot 2: 10.
Yahshua said that the priests are innocent of breaking the Shabbat even though they carry out physical labor on the Sabbath – This comes from Talmud Bavli, Tractate Shabbat 132b.
The written Torah instructs Israelites to pray after meals (Deuteronomy 8: 10). Yahshua consistently prayed before meals, and so do His disciples until today. This is also taught in the Oral Torah Mishnah, Tractate Berakhot 6.1. Pharisees used to say at least 100 blessing per day all beginning with the words: “Blessed are you, YHVH our Elohim, King of the universe.” This is transliterated in Hebrew as: ‘Baruch atah YHVH Eloheynu, Melech ha-olam’.
Yahshua’s words in Matthew 24: 20 imply that traveling is restricted on the Sabbath. We also see in Acts 1: 12 that Messiah’s followers are forbidden to walk more than a certain distance on the Sabbath. This ruling comes from Oral Torah Talmud Bavli, Tractate Eruvim 4.5.
We see from Matthew 26: 20 and Luke 22: 14 that Messiah and His disciples ‘reclined’ whilst partaking of the Passover. The written Torah says nothing in this regard, but the Oral Torah records this in the Mishnah in Tractate Psachim 10: 1.
Healing on the Sabbath as was done by Messiah, is permitted in the Mishnah in Tractate Shabbat 22.5.
In John 7: 50 & 51, ‘Nicodemus said to them (the rulers of the Pharisees) (he who came to Him before, being one of them),”Our Law does not judge a man, unless it first hears from him and knows what he is doing, does it?”’ Mishnah Rabah on Exodus 23: 1 rules that an accused must be given an opportunity to speak in his own defense – Messiah knew and also taught this.
Even though Torah states that contact with a corpse makes one unclean, it does not state that overshadowing a tomb makes one unclean. We understand by reading Luke 11: 44 that Messiah considered walking over a tomb to inflict uncleanliness. This ruling is stated in Mishnah, Tractate Ohalot 16.1 – 2.
At Messiah’s last Passover, He poured wine and shared it with His disciples. The written Torah says nothing about having wine at Passover. This was in fact a Pharisaic tradition where wine is served at the Passover meal.
In James 4: 8 Yaa’cov said: ‘Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.’ This figure of speech would have had no meaning if his audience stopped washing their hands or if Messiah abolished the practice. The Nazarene Jewish followers of Messiah obviously followed the tradition of the Pharisees in washing their hands before meals.

Finally, it needs to be said that even though the Karaite movement uses the clashes Yahshua had with the Pharisees in Matthew 23 as proof that He rejected everything the Pharisees stood for, including calendar and other issues. Any attempt to read into Yahshua’s arguments with the Pharisees that He rejected their calendrical system is without truth. Except for the Passover Yahshua kept all the Feast Days of Elohim according to the Hebrew calendar, as may be seen from John 7. In fact Yahshua even kept Chanukah (the Feast of Dedication) with them, as may be seen from John 10: 22. We also see from Acts 2, that Yahshua’s followers kept the Feast of Weeks, also known as Pentecost on the same day as the Jews.

Yahshua’s enmity with the religious leaders of His day was not petty calendric issues, as the Karaites want us to believe, but it was against their disproportionate emphasis to obedience to their traditions, rather than Torah. When Messiah comes again he will first go to the Jews in Jerusalem and when they see His hands, He will be welcomed and led by a believing Sanhedrin that will proclaim Him Messiah, saying: ‘Baruch Haba BeShem Adonai’—Blessed is He that comes in the name of YHVH. I am really tired of those who believe that there is a difference between Rabbinical Judaism and Biblical Judaism, the Jews of today remained loyal to YHVH since we together with them entered into a covenant relationship with Elohim at Mount Sinai. They are the ones who returned to the Promised Land to rebuild the Temple and walls of Jerusalem, with Ezra, Nehemiah and Zerubbabel, a proven forefather of Yahshua our Messiah through Miriam. My question today is, as I wrote to our shul-group on WhatsApp recently: Are we going to let the house of Judah do their job as lawgiver of YHVH? We have to make this important decision at this time, or could be the ones who are going to be too late for the marriage ceremony when Messiah returns? Think about it!

[1] Deuteronomy 4: 29 & 30: ‘But from there you will seek YHVH your Elohim, and you will find Him if you search for Him with all your heart and all your soul. When you are in distress and all these things have come upon you, in the latter days, you will return to YHVH your Elohim and listen to His voice.’