Q&A – WHAT IS THE MYSTERY OF THE GOSPEL? Part 5

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Q&A – WHAT IS THE MYSTERY OF THE GOSPEL?   Part 5

Romans 11:25 For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.

26 And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob:

Over the past four posts we have identified the existence of the mystery, the nature of the mystery, the promise of the mystery and the dilemma of the mystery.  We have all the requisite pieces; so now, let’s put the puzzle together.

In the Torah, we see the history of Adam’s race beginning in the Garden of Eden.  We see the fall of man, and the corruption of man bringing us to the flood of Noah.  All of humanity is destroyed except Noah, his wife, his three sons and their wives.  A very basic covenant is made between IAUE and Noah after the flood; but not one cut in blood.  Finally, IAUE selected Abram in Ur of the Chaldees with whom to establish a unique relationship among all the peoples of the earth.  With Abram, IAUE cut a covenant in blood and changed Abram’s name to Abraham, promising him to be the father of many nations.

To Abraham, IAUE promised a supernatural birth to produce his heir of the covenant; and Isaac was so born to him and Sarah.  Unto Isaac was born twins, Jacob and Esau; but the younger of the two was selected by IAUE to be the heir of the covenant (Romans 10:9-13). IAUE changed Jacob’s name to Israel; and unto him were born the twelve patriarchs of the Hebrew race…the covenant people of IAUE.  The rest of the Scriptures is devoted to IAUE’s promise to Abraham to bless his descendants, to be their Elohim and for them to be His people.

At no time does the narrative of the Scriptures change its focus on the family of Israel; though at the point of the divided kingdom where ten tribes moved north to establish the Kingdom of Israel, having forsaken the promise of the Messiah who would come from the tribe of Judah, the focus is splintered to follow the movements of the House of Israel and the House of Judah in order to keep an eye on all twelve tribes of Israel. This is a necessity in order to fulfill IAUE’s promise to Abraham.

The Old Testament Scriptures ends with Judah and Benjamin returning from captivity in Babylon to reestablish the city of Jerusalem, to rebuild the temple and to resettle the promised land; while the House of Israel is lost to the nations. They cannot come home to their inheritance in the promised land because they have been divorced by IAUE, scattered throughout the nations of the world, now strangers and aliens to the covenants and promises of IAUE.  This is actually the stage upon which the New Testament Scriptures begins.  It is a story of how IAUE put in motion His plan to bring back the lost sheep of the House of Israel.  You will remember from our last post that Messiah himself said that he had come ONLY for the lost sheep of the House of Israel.  This is the mystery that was revealed to the apostle Paul. 

Even though our “Christian” heritage has taught us to understand that the New Testament was all about us, we have been misled into a wrong belief. It is all about the promise IAUE made to Abraham, and to Isaac and to Jacob. IAUE is still dealing with the original covenant He made with Abraham; but through a tweaked version of that covenant.  The original covenant said that IAUE would bless Abraham and his descendants, and that through his seed, all the nations of the world would be blessed (Genesis 22:17-18).  Paul explains to the Galatians that this seed was referring to Yahushua Messiah.

Galatians 3:16 Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Messiah.

This latter half of the Abrahamic Covenant was not engaged until Yahushua cut the new covenant in his own blood.  By his death, Yahushua activated the second half of the Abrahamic covenant, removing its weaknesses and flaws and perfecting the relationship between IAUE and the children of Abraham forever.

Hebrews 8:7 For if that first covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second.

8 For finding fault with them, he saith, Behold, the days come, saith IAUE, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah:

9 Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they continued not in my covenant, and I regarded them not, saith IAUE.

10 For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith IAUE; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them an Elohim, and they shall be to me a people:

11 And they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know IAUE: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest.

12 For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more.

Notice, again, that the new covenant is made, not with the pagan peoples of the world, the gentile nations who are not of the lineage of Abraham; but it is made with the House of Israel and the House of Judah.  The New Testament is the revelation of how IAUE restores the House of Israel and brings the stick of Ephraim back together with the stick of Judah unto one NEW MAN (Ezekiel 37:6-19). IAUE has not cut a covenant with us who are gentiles.

Ephesians 2:11 Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands;

12 That at that time ye were without Messiah, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without Elohim in the world:

13 But now in Messiah Yahushua ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Messiah.

I would imagine that you have never read this passage of Scripture and thought it was referring exclusively to the lost sheep of the House of Israel; but that is exactly about whom Paul is speaking.  They had become like the Gentiles in the flesh by no longer circumcising their male children. Physically, you could not tell them apart from the Gentiles.  They were without Messiah, for their forefathers had said, “What promise have we in David?”  They had become aliens to the united Kingdom of Israel.  They had become strangers from the covenants of IAUE.  Then, we find a unique term that is used only of the lost sheep of the House of Israel…they are those “who were sometimes far off.”  The Gentiles had ALWAYS been far off; but the lost sheep of the House of Israel had not always been far off…they became far off when IAUE scattered them throughout the nations of the world.

Leviticus 26:33 And I will scatter you among the heathen…

Deuteronomy 4:27 And IAUE shall scatter you among the nations, and ye shall be left few in number among the heathen, whither IAUE shall lead you.

Deuteronomy 28:64  And IAUE shall scatter thee among all people, from the one end of the earth even unto the other; and there thou shalt serve other gods, which neither thou nor thy fathers have known, even wood and stone.

When the Jews (the tribes of Judah and Benjamin) returned from captivity in Babylon, they remembered these words of Moses.

Nehemiah 1:8 Remember, I beseech thee, the word that thou commandedst thy servant Moses, saying, If ye transgress, I will scatter you abroad among the nations:

9 But if ye turn unto me, and keep my commandments, and do them; though there were of you cast out unto the uttermost part of the heaven, yet will I gather them from thence, and will bring them unto the place that I have chosen to set my name there.

The Jews did turn to IAUE and began to keep His commandments.  They remained in the land and did not follow after other gods from that point forward.  This is why the Scriptures, foretelling of the New Covenant says it will be made with the House of Israel and the House of Judah; but then speaks only to the House of Israel when it speaks of putting a new heart within them that will turn them from their faithlessness to know IAUE and obey His commandments.  The Jews had already made the decision to be faithful to IAUE and His commandments.

Paul unravels the mystery of the gospel to the Ephesians in the next two verses of chapter 2.

Ephesians 2:14 For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us;

15 Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace;

He abolished in his flesh the enmity…the law of commandments.  What law in particular does he mean?

Romans 7:1 Know ye not, brethren, (for I speak to them that know the law,) how that the law hath dominion over a man as long as he liveth?

Paul is addressing the Jews in Rome, people whom he knew were aware of the law.

Romans 7:2 For the woman which hath an husband is bound by the law to her husband so long as he liveth; but if the husband be dead, she is loosed from the law of her husband.

3 So then if, while her husband liveth, she be married to another man, she shall be called an adulteress: but if her husband be dead, she is free from that law; so that she is no adulteress, though she be married to another man.

This was the dilemma.  This was the enmity set between the Jews and the House of Israel.  The ten tribes of Israel had left her husband, IAUE, to play the harlot with pagan gods; hence she is referred to as the adulterous House of Israel.  The law goes on to say (and because Paul knows they know the law, he knows they already have calculated this in to the discussion) that if the one she has married puts her away, SHE CANNOT COME BACK TO HER FIRST HUSBAND.  That is called “an abomination to the land.”  How to solve this problem was the mystery.

When a woman (the ten tribes) having married her first husband (IAUE), is put away by her first husband, she is not lawfully able to marry another; because to do so would violate the law of marriage.  If she marries another, she commits adultery.  The House of Israel was put away by IAUE and did marry another…all the pagan gods of the gentiles.  She can NEVER come back to marry IAUE.  IAUE is the one who made the law, so He is fully aware that these tribes are lost sheep, now.  However, he devised, in His majestic unsearchable wisdom, that He could create a scenario in which the woman can remarry without committing adultery and without needing to come back to her first husband.

THE MYSTERY UNFOLDED:

Romans 7:4 Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Messiah; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto Elohim.

5 For when we were in the flesh, the motions of sins, which were by the law, did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death.

6 But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter.

2 Corinthians 5:14 For the love of Messiah constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead:

15 And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again.

The lost sheep of the House of Israel can never remarry IAUE because the law of the marriage endures as long as the husband is alive, and IAUE cannot die; so there is no way Israel can return to IAUE in marriage.  However, there is one way in which she can remarry without being an adulteress; and that is… if SHE DIES.  If she dies, and lives again, she is free from the law of the marriage and can marry another; and THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT IAUE ENABLED THROUGH THE SACRIFICE OF HIS SON.  Paul clearly declares that in Messiah, we all die, in order that we can be married to the one who died for us, that is, to Messiah Yahushua.  In this way, the House of Israel becomes the bride of Messiah, the son of IAUE; and IAUE becomes her father instead of her husband. In this way, IAUE can keep His promise to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. It only requires the lost sheep of the House of Israel to become betrothed to the Messiah that their forefathers rejected.

Ephesians 2:16  And that he might reconcile both (the House of Judah and the House of Israel) unto IAUE in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby:

17 And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh.

18 For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.

19 Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of Elohim;

20 And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Yahushua Messiah himself being the chief corner stone;

21 In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in IAUE:

22 In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of Elohim through the Spirit.

Next:  How the Gentiles enter into this mystery.

Q&A – WHAT IS THE MYSTERY OF THE GOSPEL? Part 4

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Hosea 1:2 The beginning of the word of IAUE by Hosea. And IAUE said to Hosea, Go, take unto thee a wife of whoredoms and children of whoredoms: for the land hath committed great whoredom, departing from IAUE.

3 So he went and took Gomer the daughter of Diblaim; which conceived, and bare him a son.

4 And IAUE said unto him, Call his name Jezreel; for yet a little while, and I will avenge the blood of Jezreel upon the house of Jehu, and will cause to cease the kingdom of the house of Israel.

5 And it shall come to pass at that day, that I will break the bow of Israel, in the valley of Jezreel.

6 And she conceived again, and bare a daughter. And Elohim said unto him, Call her name Loruhamah: for I will no more have mercy upon the house of Israel; but I will utterly take them away.

7 But I will have mercy upon the house of Judah, and will save them by IAUE their Elohim, and will not save them by bow, nor by sword, nor by battle, by horses, nor by horsemen.

8 Now when she had weaned Loruhamah, she conceived, and bare a son.

9 Then said Elohim, Call his name Loammi: for ye are not my people, and I will not be your Elohim.

(If you have not read the first three posts in this current Q&A, please go back to Part 1 and read the lessons in order.  You will need that foundation to understand this post properly.)

The life of Hosea was literally a physical manifestation of his prophecy to the House of Israel.  He was commanded to take a wife of harlotry which typified the relationship between IAUE and the ten tribes of the northern kingdom of Israel.  As we have seen from prior posts, IAUE divorced the House of Israel.  That putting away is exemplified in the children born to Hosea. 

Jezreel – I will cause to cease the kingdom of the house of Israel.

Loruhamah – I will no more have mercy upon the house of Israel.

Loammi -  You are not my people; and I will not be your Elohim.

Do you remember where this idea is expressed in the New Testament?  These verses in Hosea 1 are quoted both by Paul and by Peter; but the contemporary Christian church does not seem to recognize its significance.

Romans 9:25 As he saith also in Osee (Hosea), I will call them my people, which were not my people; and her beloved, which was not beloved.

26 And it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not my people; there shall they be called the children of the living Elohim (Hosea 1:11).

1 Peter 2:9  But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light;

10 Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of Elohim: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.

Of whom were Paul and Peter speaking?  Were they speaking of the pagan population of the world?  No.  They were addressing the lost ten tribes of the House of Israel.  It was the house of Israel that was declared to be not the people of IAUE, and not recipients of His mercy.  It was the lost ten tribes of the house of Israel who were told that in the place where they were told you are not my people, they shall be called the children of the living Elohim.  It was the lost ten tribes that were the primary focus of the New Covenant.  Messiah himself declared this and we didn’t even notice it.

Matthew 10:5 These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not:

6 But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.

Matthew 15:24  But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.

Even the Master was not yet ready to reveal the mystery to his disciples.  Notice, he instructed them to avoid the cities of the Gentiles (pagans); but to go to where the lost sheep of the house of Israel could be found.  In that day, there were millions of people who knew they were of the ten tribes that lived in Galilee and surrounding areas.  They lived as close to Jerusalem as they could; but knowing they could never come “home” as it were, to the center of Hebrew life. Yahushua came for the lost sheep of the house of Israel; but they were not just in the neighboring areas of the Jewish population; they were everywhere; and the farther they were away from Jerusalem, it would appear the less they knew or remembered from whence they came.  They were Gentiles for all they knew.  They knew no better.

Ephesians 2:11 Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands;

12 That at that time ye were without Messiah, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without Elohim in the world:

Here, Paul is reminding the descendants of the lost tribes that they have been living just like the Gentiles (pagans) and that they had rejected Messiah (“What portion have we in David?”); that they were ejected from the unified kingdom of Israel that was awaiting the rule of the Messiah.  They were estranged from the covenants of IAUE, hopeless, and not the people of Elohim.  They were the offspring of the divorced of IAUE.  However, IAUE found a way to reclaim them, to have mercy upon them once again; and once again for them to be called the children of the living Elohim.

The Scriptures clearly prophesied of the restoration of the house of Israel; but the Jews in the first century church could not comprehend it. There was great animosity directed to the dispersion. It was “a mystery” to them, hidden in Elohim awaiting the time of its revelation.  That revelation was given to Paul.  The ministry and mission of Paul was prophesied by Isaiah.

Isaiah 49:5 And now, saith IAUE that formed me from the womb to be his servant, to bring Jacob again to him, Though Israel be not gathered, yet shall I be glorious in the eyes of IAUE, and my Elohim shall be my strength.

6 And he said, It is a light 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.

7 Thus saith IAUE, the Redeemer of Israel, and his Holy One, to him whom man despiseth, to him whom the nation abhorreth, to a servant of rulers, Kings shall see and arise, princes also shall worship, because of IAUE that is faithful, and the Holy One of Israel, and he shall choose thee.

8 Thus saith IAUE, In an acceptable time have I heard thee, and in a day of salvation have I helped thee: and I will preserve thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, to establish the earth, to cause to inherit the desolate heritages;

9 That thou mayest say to the prisoners, Go forth; to them that are in darkness,(see 1 Peter 2:9 above) Shew yourselves. They shall feed in the ways, and their pastures shall be in all high places.

10 They shall not hunger nor thirst; neither shall the heat nor sun smite them: for he that hath mercy on them shall lead them, even by the springs of water shall he guide them.

11 And I will make all my mountains a way, and my highways shall be exalted.

12 Behold, these shall come from far: and, lo, these from the north and from the west; and these from the land of Sinim.

13 Sing, O heavens; and be joyful, O earth; and break forth into singing, O mountains: for IAUE hath comforted his people, and will have mercy upon his afflicted.

Yahushua confirms this when he tells Ananias to go pray for Paul in Damascus.

Acts 9:15 But the Master said unto him, Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel:

Paul confirms this again when he offers his defense to the Jews who tried to kill him in Jerusalem.

Acts 22:21 And he said unto me, Depart: for I will send thee far hence unto the Gentiles.

22 And they gave him audience unto this word, and then lifted up their voices, and said, Away with such a fellow from the earth: for it is not fit that he should live.

You can see from how they reacted to this notion of reclaiming their lost brethren who had been scattered throughout the nations that they had no comprehension of that prospect.  They were fiercely opposed to restoring mercy to the tribes from whom the mercy of IAUE had been stripped…their brethren who refused to worship IAUE or to keep the laws of IAUE.  We see this same abhorrence for extending the mercy of IAUE to the lost tribes of the house of Israel by the Pharisees that contended with the Master.

John 7:34 Ye shall seek me, and shall not find me: and where I am, thither ye cannot come.

35 Then said the Jews among themselves, Whither will he go, that we shall not find him? will he go unto the dispersed among the Gentiles, and teach the Gentiles?

They were so close to understanding the mystery of the gospel; but their prejudice against the dispersed tribes prevented them from seeing it even though they could quote the verses of Scripture that told of IAUE restoring His mercy to them and once again calling them His people.  Probably fueling this animosity were Isaiah’s words.

Isaiah 42:24  Who gave Jacob for a spoil, and Israel to the robbers? did not IAUE, he against whom we have sinned? for they would not walk in his ways, neither were they obedient unto his law.

THE GENTILES:

The first time the word “Gentiles” is used in Scripture, it refers to the offspring of Japheth, son of Noah. Japheth’s descendants spread out to the coastlands and to the isles of the earth.

Genesis 10:5  By these were the isles of the Gentiles divided in their lands; every one after his tongue, after their families, in their nations.

It is interesting to note that Isaiah’s prophecy of Paul’s ministry begins with verse 1 (not cited above).

Isaiah 49:1 Listen, O isles, unto me; and hearken, ye people, from far; IAUE hath called me from the womb; from the bowels of my mother hath he made mention of my name.

The word “gentiles” just means “a collective of people.”  In the Old Testament (gowy) is translated, “nations, heathen, Gentiles and people.”  In the New Testament (ethnos) means the same thing and is translated the same way. The term later came to refer specifically to all non-Hebrew peoples. Eventually, the term also included the dispersed Hebrews of the house of Israel; because there was little difference between the two. They lived among them. They were no longer circumcised. They worshipped their false gods.  They knew not IAUE.  One might say they were so connected and intermingled with the gentile races that you could not separate them without tearing them apart. This was the dilemma; and this was the basis of the mystery; and IAUE’s solution to this dilemma enabled Paul to discover the unsearchable wisdom of IAUE (Romans 11:33). How can IAUE restore mercy to the lost ten tribes of the House of Israel who had become inseparable from the uncovenanted heathen of the world?  How can He again make them His people?  This was the mystery.

Next week: The mystery solved.

Q&A – WHAT IS THE MYSTERY OF THE GOSPEL? Part 3

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Q&A – WHAT IS THE MYSTERY OF THE GOSPEL?   Part 3

Genesis 15:18 In the same day IAUE made a covenant with Abram, saying, Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates:

This was our lead verse in our last post, but we did not address it at all.  It was there as a “teaser.”  Today, I want to discuss the inseparable relationship between this verse and the gospel of Yahushua Messiah, today.

Acts 1:6  When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Master, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?

Moments before the apostles watched Yahushua rise up from the earth to be received by a cloud, they asked this question.  The mindset of the apostles and the disciples related everything that Yahushua had done the past three years: his miracles, his message, his death, his burial, his resurrection, as relating to the fulfilling the prophecies of the restoration of the Kingdom of Israel. This is why they took the gospel exclusively to the Jews.  The western Christian, today, would think this awfully narrow minded; and possibly insulting; but they would be wrong.  The Gentile world that has been touched by the redemption in Yahushua has never understood the mystery of the gospel.  To understand it, we have to go back to Abram.

Genesis 15:18 In the same day IAUE made a covenant with Abram, saying, Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates:

Prior to this moment, the only other covenant IAUE had made with man was his covenant with Noah, his sons, and with all living creatures on the earth in which he promised never again to destroy the world by flood; and giving a token of the covenant by placing His bow in the cloud. (Genesis 9:8-17)  Here, we see IAUE singling out one man and his seed (before he ever had an offspring).  A unique covenant was cut with Abram in which there was shedding of blood; an everlasting covenant which IAUE could not and would not break.  IAUE renewed His covenant with Abram (now called Abraham) with his son, Isaac, and later, with his son’s son, Jacob.  The bloodline of Abraham as it passed through Isaac and Jacob was protected by IAUE.  An unbreakable commitment was made to Abram by IAUE. 

When Moses lead the children of Israel out of Egypt, IAUE established another covenant with the Hebrew people; a covenant which the Hebrews broke routinely.

Jeremiah 31:32 Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith IAUE:

Just prior to the Hebrews entering into Canaan, the promised land, Moses told them to faithfully keep the laws and commandments of IAUE; and that, despite the fact they would verbally make the commitment to do so, it would not be long after conquering Canaan that their hearts would go after “other gods.” Over several hundred years they played the harlot with other gods, and IAUE sent judges to deliver them and bring them back to Him.  Finally, when the original kingdom of Israel was established, it only took the passing of the reigns of Kings Saul, David and Solomon before Rehoboam became king and ten tribes of Israel rejected the rule of Judah over them, moved north and established their own kingdom.  This new kingdom was called “The Kingdom of Israel,” and was also referred to as “Israel,” “the House of Israel,” “Ephraim,” and “Joseph.”  The southern Kingdom ceased being called the Kingdom of Israel; because it was now divided and contained only two of the twelve tribes. It became “The Kingdom of Judah,” or “Judah,” or “the House of Judah.”  These terms are significant.

We saw in our last post that the northern kingdom of Israel was eventually “put away” by IAUE, served with a spiritual “writ of divorcement.” (Jeremiah 3:8) This spelled disaster for the unified Kingdom of Israel (and yet, the Scriptures showed prophetically, that IAUE would somehow be able to bring them back.)

Ezekiel 37:19 Say unto them, Thus saith IAUE Elohim; Behold, I will take the stick of Joseph, which is in the hand of Ephraim, and the tribes of Israel his fellows, and will put them with him, even with the stick of Judah, and make them one stick, and they shall be one in mine hand.

The Jews knew this prophecy.  They simply could not understand how it could be possible.  Consider when the Jews returned from Babylon to Jerusalem and rebuilt the walls of the city and rebuilt the temple.  Under Ezra, the scrolls of the Torah were found and read aloud to all the peoples; and they wailed and lamented their transgressions before IAUE.  One transgression in particular was their having taken wives from among other nations, other peoples than the Hebrews.  As one people they put their foreign wives away and all offspring born to them by these wives.  What do you think would have happened if the descendants of the House of Israel had approached Jerusalem in this environment, having themselves been the offspring of mixed marriages?  It would have been unthinkable; hence, it was not even attempted.  In the mind of the Jew, the ten tribes were “lost,” despite the apparent promise to the contrary in Scripture.  There was just no way that a divorced bride could return to her original husband…period.  It was the law (Deuteronomy 24:1-4).

The focus of the Old Testament Scriptures, after IAUE divorced the House of Israel and they were taken captive by Assyria, became the reunited Kingdom of Israel and the coming of Messiah to reign; only the reunion part seemed more and more a very remote possibility.  The restoration of the Kingdom to Israel became more of an idea of the restoration of the House of Judah under Messiah.  Judah returned to Jerusalem after the Babylonian captivity; but the kingdom was not restored.  They never had a king sit upon the throne of David after their return. This, however, was never the plan; hence Messiah’s answer to their question in Acts 1. (Acts 1:7 And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power.)

Throughout human history from the time of Abram to today, IAUE has never entered into a covenant with the Gentiles.  Even in Messiah’s observance of the Passover with his disciples just prior to his death; his reference to a new covenant did not come as a surprise.

Luke 22:19 And when He had taken some bread and given thanks, He broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” 

20 And in the same way He took the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup which is poured out for you is the new covenant in My blood. 

They may have been startled to have been there at the moment the new covenant was announced; but the new covenant was not a mystery, as such.  It had been prophesied by Jeremiah.

Jeremiah 31:31 Behold, the days come, saith IAUE, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah:

32 Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith IAUE:

33 But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith IAUE, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their Elohim, and they shall be my people.

34 And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know IAUE: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith IAUE: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.

Notice this new covenant was made with “the House of Israel,” and with “the House of Judah.”  It does not say, “and with the Gentile nations.”  Western Christianity tries to make this prophecy about them, about Gentiles coming to Messiah.  It isn’t.  It is about the reunion of the House of Israel with the House of Judah unto the restoration of the undivided Kingdom of Israel. This is why it is called the “gospel of the Kingdom.” The new covenant is all about the old covenant.  It is about IAUE’s commitment to His friend, Abraham.  To prove that point, we only need to go to the book of Hebrews…which was written to…the Hebrews, not to the Gentiles.  It quotes heavily from Jeremiah’s prophecy.

Hebrews 8:7 For if that first covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second.

8 For finding fault with them, he saith, Behold, the days come, saith IAUE, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah:

9 Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they continued not in my covenant, and I regarded them not, saith IAUE.

10 For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith IAUE; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them Elohim, and they shall be to me a people:

11 And they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know IAUE: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest.

12 For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more.

Verses 10 through 12, directs this portion of the new covenant specifically to the House of Israel…the lost ten tribes…the tribes IAUE divorced and put away.  They are the tribes of Jacob that rejected IAUE.  They are the ones who could not and would not keep His laws.  They are the ones who were put away and were no longer his people.  The House of Judah was not characterized by an inability to observe the laws of IAUE.  The House of Judah rejected the false gods around them.  They did not embrace the pagan idols and false worship of Babylon.  They returned to Jerusalem, found the Torah, wept in repentance and remained to keep His laws. They are not the ones who needed to be separated from the Gentile nations and from pagan worship. 

Next week:  Hosea’s contribution to solving the mystery of the gospel; how the mystery was finally revealed to Paul; and how the Gentiles fit in to this picture.