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GENESIS 48: The Blessing • Jacob was near death • Joseph’s two sons were born

to Asenath, Egyptian wife • Jacob (Israel) learned of

Abrahamic Covenant from his father, Isaac

• Kahal ammim = holy convocation of fellow countrymen

• Will receive Canaan as “the Land of Promise”

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• Luz = Beth-el • Jacob did NOT call God Y-H-W-H (Yehoveh) • Paleo-linguistics study of ancient languages • Shaddai is cognate of the Akkadian word “Shaddu” • Shaddu means “mountain” • El Shaddai = God of the Mountain

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JACOB ADOPTS JOSEPH’S 2 SONS

• Jacob did NOT simply make these boys Israelites

• Ephraim and Manasseh became sons, equals to his other 12 sons

• There were at that moment 14 tribes of Israel

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WHY DO YOU LOVE ISRAEL? • Church has ignored the

principle: We must be grafted into the spiritual heritage of Israel to be saved

• This is done through Yeshua • The “family of God” is Israel • What makes the Church “The

Church” is our being grafted into the covenants of Israel

• Not a PHYSICAL grafting, but a SPIRITUAL grafting

• A Spiritual Ideal of Israel

GENTILES ISRAEL

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OLDER AND NEWEST COVENANTS GIVEN TO ISRAEL!

• Jeremiah 31:31 “Behold…I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah…”

• There is no “gentile” covenant • NO ONE can partake in these

covenants unless they are part of Israel

• Gentiles MUST be declared part of Israel to have legal access to the covenants (including the NEW covenant in Yeshua)

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HAS “THE CHURCH” REPLACED ISRAEL?

• NAS Jeremiah 31:35 Thus says the LORD, Who gives the sun for light by day, And the fixed order of the moon and the stars for light by night, Who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar; The LORD of hosts is His name: 36 "If this fixed order departs From before Me," declares the LORD, "Then the offspring of Israel also shall cease From being a nation before Me forever." 37 Thus says the LORD, "If the heavens above can be measured, And the foundations of the earth searched out below, Then I will also cast off all the offspring of Israel For all that they have done," declares the LORD.

• Replacement theology is NOT an error, it is intentional deceit • An attempt to STEAL Israel’s heritage from them

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GENTILES CAN BE INCLUDED…..IF…

• NOT because we’re “good” • God made provision for

foreigners (gentiles) to join Israel

• Gentiles to be 1st class citizens

• Outside of joining Israel from a spiritual perspective, there is no way to partake of their covenants

• This is done by faith in Yeshua

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• From the Jews, to the Gentiles, back to the Jews

• The goal is that ALL ISRAEL BE SAVED

• Romans 2:26 • Jew = Israel to

Paul • A “true Jew”

must be a “spiritual Israelite”

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IT’S OUR SPIRITUAL STANDING WITH GOD THAT MATTERS

• Our spiritual standing is based on what? • Based on the covenants made with Israel, including

the New Covenant in Yeshua • Paul is talking to Jews and gentiles • Romans 3:1-3 • NO spiritual distinction between those who trust

Yehoveh • BUT, there IS a physical distinction: there remains

physical Jews (Israelites) and physical gentiles! • Physical Jews have an advantage, they brought “the

Word” into the world • ALL who trust Yeshua for salvation are made part of

“true Israel”…….. “spiritual Jews” (spiritual Israelites)

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KINGDOM OF GOD • Kingdom of God is

people • People who have given

themselves over to God • FAITH in Yeshua is the

SOLE identifying factor as to who is a member

• BUT…..the LEGAL reason for all this is contained in the covenants with Israel

• Jews do NOT take on gentile physical identity

• Gentiles do NOT take on Jewish physical identity

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SPIRITUAL PLANE

PHYSICAL PLANE

TORAH WORD PRINCIPLES LAWS COMMANDS

TORAH WORD PRINCIPLES LAWS COMMANDS

HEAVEN

EARTH

TORAH WORD

PRINCIPLES LAWS

COMMANDS

DIVINE IDEALS

IDEALS PUT TO PHYSICAL PRACTICE

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• Ephesians 2:11 • Gentiles by birth, OUTSIDERS to Israel & God • By means of Christ, declared INSIDERS • Romans 9:6 • Not EVERY Israelite is part of “true” Israel (Spiritual

Israel) • Not EVERY gentile will become part of the Kingdom of

God (true/spiritual Israel) • Galatians 3:26 • Faith in Yeshua = seed of Abraham • Heirs according the promise MEANS according to the

covenant with Abraham • Christ was PART of God’s plan, but not ALL of it

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GENESIS 48Part 2

• “True” Israelite = Spiritual Israelite

• One who embodies the ideals of Israel and Torah

• A Believer in Yeshua • Word= Memra =Logos • Ideals given to Moses on

Mt. Sinai (Torah) • Jacob adopted Joseph’s 2

sons • Ephraim to be a blessing

to the gentile nations

Jacob’s Cross-Handed Blessing

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ISRAEL POSSESSES THE LAND • Num.34:13 – 28 • Spies report that Canaan

could not be conquered • God punishes Israel by

sending back into the Wilderness for 40 years

• After 40 years, Israel is now ready to take Canaan

• “….when you enter Canaan……it will become your land…”

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WHO OWNS THE LAND? • The only viewpoint that matters…….is GOD’s!!

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DEBATING ISRAEL IS FOOLISH!!

• Modern geo-political realities have no bearing on God giving the land to Israel

• Fairness, human ideas of morality, don’t matter regarding Israel

• Seeking peace with Islam doesn’t matter, if it means compromising Israel

• Our need for appeasing oil rich Arab nations doesn’t matter if it means siding with Israel’s enemies

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• Numbers 34 occurs 450 years AFTER Cross-Handed Blessing

• 2 tribes plus ½ of another did NOT enter Canaan

• Rueben, Gad, and ½ of Manasseh

• Tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh replace tribe of Joseph

• Tribe of Levi is NOT given territory

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LEVI’S INHERITANCE

• Levi removed as a tribe of Israel upon the census

• Levi’s sole job is to serve God

• Levi received 48 cities instead of a territory

• Even though there are 13 named tribes, Levi is NOT part of Israel

• God adopted Levi away from Jacob (Israel)

• Two Houses of Israel make-up the WHOLE house of Israel

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• Modern Israel believes their problem is a conspiracy of men UN, EU, Palestinians, Muslims

• So, they fight, negotiate, fight, negotiate, fight…….. • Isaiah 8:11-16 Isaiah told NOT to react as Israel reacts, or to

fear as Israel fears • Rather they should sue for peace with GOD! • Christians need to believe the Scriptures and seek God for

peace, not compromise with evil

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TWO HOUSES OF ISRAEL • Jeremiah 33:23 – 26 • Two families = two

houses • God says: “….the world

says He has rejected Israel…..”

• In response, God says: “ if day and night no longer exist……then I will reject Israel…..”

• Israel is, and will always be, God’s chosen people

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ISRAEL IS DIVIDED INTO TWO KINGDOMS

• Solomon dies in 925 B.C. CIVIL WAR!!! Judah controls the south Judah absorbed Benjamin Ephraim controls the north • Ephraim absorbed the other

10 tribes • Israel now called Ephraim • After 925 B.C., Bible will

switch between “Ephraim” and “Israel”

EPHRAIM

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JUDAH AND EPHRAIM ARE NOW STARKLEY DIFFERENT KINGDOMS

• Ephraim-Israel sought after it’s neighbors pagan ways

• Judah tried to stay separate

• Ephraim adopted neighbors’ gods