Originally Posted 9/5/15; updated 9/10; Updated 9/24/18
(#1) to live a lifestyle that demanded obedience to the laws HE WROTE with his own hand.
(#3) to follow his specifications in presenting offerings and sacrifices. God instituted a plan of redemption whereby they could offer acceptable sacrifices to him until such a time as the ultimate sacrifice could be made. This was a demonstration to the world, of the coming redemption, of the ultimate sacrifice for all, that God would provide himself. Understand that the idea of blood sacrifices was not a new concept. The people living at this time had many gods whom they worshipped with offerings and blood sacrifices regularly. Often these pagans offered human sacrifices. God was demonstrating to His people the manner in which they could offer sacrifices that would be acceptable in His sight and a precursor or substitutional sacrifice prophesying the coming one.)
(#4) to receive His word. The generation that God called out had long forgotten their roots. They had been steeped in pagan culture and all manner of sin. God spoke directly to the Hebrew people through His chosen prophets and gave them all the wisdom and knowledge that was necessary for those who follow him to survive. The Word He was giving them was for all generations to come, for all the nations of the world.
(#5) to write it down. This was crucial. God charged them to record every world meticulously. I am certain they understood that this was a very serious assignment, but it is doubtful they really understood the scope and weight of it, at that time.
(#6) to guard it, protect it and keep it true to the original. This was no small undertaking. They have served Him well in this. For thousands of years, the Hebrew scribes painstakingly took on the task of copying down the word, line for line, every jot, and tittle. Archeology today has confirmed that they have done an amazing job of maintaining the word faithfully. The general Hebrew assembly has been faithful to teach the word to their children and to live by the word as best they can for thousands of years. Even though they have suffered through many exiles. Though forced to live in foreign lands and among the heathens where they often had to worship in secret, they always found ways to preserve the written word and customs. Though they have been tortured, imprisoned and killed to the point of near annihilation, you will still find them today, following the laws of God and worshipping in the same ways as their ancestors. You can walk into any synagogue today and experience the same worship that the son of God did when He walked the earth.
(#7) to be the ones who would betray Him and call for His death. In case you are not aware, this death was planned long before there was a Hebrew Nation, Rome or crucifixion. Read Isaiah 53 The Hebrews did not kill Him. He himself stated John 10: 18 “No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father.” Talking to the Pharisees, whom he called blind guides, John 9:41 “Jesus said unto them, If ye were blind, ye should have no sin: but now ye say, We see; therefore your sin remaineth.” In this passage, He was saying that those whom He keeps blind for His purposes, He does not hold responsible. But, because they were declaring that they were not blind, the sin is on their head. You see, He kept the Hebrews blind so that they did not recognize Him. This was done so that the word would be fulfilled.
(#8) to remain blind for our sake. He continues to keep them blind for our sake so that we Gentiles could come in. Romans 11:25-29 “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: 27 For this is my covenant unto them when I shall take away their sins. 28 As concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes: but as touching the election, they are beloved for the father’s sakes. 29 For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance.”
(#9) to be hated, persecuted, abused and slaughtered for his namesake. Even to the horror of the Holocaust. Did you know that in the Temple sacrifice practices there were two kinds of sacrifice? There was the blood offering and the burnt offering. Everything in the Old Testament is a type and shadow of the New. So, if the Son of God, is the Lamb that takes away our sin. His blood was the blood offering, but he never was burned. Who was? 6 million of His chosen people. They were a sweet savor to the Lord, certainly not because He enjoys their torture and death. Before you start accusing God of being bloodthirsty and maniacal, I suggest you withhold judgment until you understand the whole story. I think once you know as you are known and understand the beginning to the end, you will find that everything evil that has happened to mankind, has happened because of our own choices and rebellion. There is something about sin, brought on in the garden that requires blood sacrifice. That is why after Adam and Eve sinned, God had to cover them with the skin of an animal. That animal had to pay the price. This is the reason He said to His disciples Mark 10: 36-38 And He said to them, “What do you want me to do for you?” They said to Him, “Grant that we may sit, one on Your right and one on Your left, in Your glory.” But Jesus said to them, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or to be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?”…I don’t know whether they understood at that moment or not, but he was asking them if they were able to follow him to crucifixion as martyrs.
(#10) to keep the dream of Jerusalem alive. In order for the Word of God to be fulfilled, there had to be a return to the homeland and a hunger for Jerusalem and the Temple Mount. So, there had to be Hebrews still looking for their Messiah. The Hebrew people hunger for the land and the promises of God even though they have been ridiculed, abused, tortured and murdered everywhere they have gone for holding onto the Word. Though there seems to be no reasonable explanation for their continued faith in the promises of the Torah, and many of them have lost hope, yet they continue to live and fight for their faith. They lay down their lives every day.
The Hebrew people are not Heathens/Pagans. They know The Creator, YHVH. They love HIM and they KNOW THE WORD. Yes, right now, they only know in part. But, they know their Torah better than most Christians know the New Testament. And MOST CHRISTIANS do not even study the original books of the bible. How ridiculous is that? EVERY WORD that comes from the mouth of GOD is precious and fruitful. You cannot possibly understand the BOOK at all unless you read the WHOLE THING!
If you want to know what it means to be CHOSEN OF GOD, look at the Savior, and look at the Hebrew people. The TRUTH is far from today’s prosperity teaching that declares if you are one of God’s children you will be mightily blessed, prosperous and highly favored. That philosophy caters to the sinful, selfish pride of man. It is time for the world to realize that we owe the Hebrew people a debt of gratitude. They have suffered horrendously, for a very long time, for our sake. Many of those who call themselves children of the Most High, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob have been guilty of hating those whom God loves.
Ezekiel Chapter 20 יְחֶזְקֵאל
The Relationship of the Church to Israel – excerpt
What is a Covenant?
A Covenant is an agreement between two parties. Sometimes the agreement required actions to be performed by both parties. Such as, if you do this, I’ll do that. Sometimes the agreement or covenant was a unilateral covenant. Party number one promised to do something and nothing was required of the other party. There are covenants GOD made with his people that are unilateral or promissory covenants. God made promises that He would do something, and there was nothing required by the humans involved. (Visit this site to learn more about the three Covenants that GOD made with man: Abrahamic, Davidic and New Covenant..)
I pray that you watch the following video. It is very relevant to this topic. More importantly, it is very relevant to our current world situation. Even more importantly, it will bless you to witness the power of our God.
Israel’s Place in God’s Plan for this world. (3D)
Jeremiah 31: 31“The days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and with the people of Judah.
32It will not be like the covenant I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt, because they broke my covenant, though I was a husband to d them, e ” declares the Lord.
33“This is the covenant I will make with the people of Israel after that time,” declares the Lord. “I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people.
34No longer will they teach their neighbor, or say to one another, ‘Know the Lord,’ because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest,” declares the Lord. “For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.”
35This is what the Lord says, he who appoints the sun to shine by day, who decrees the moon and stars to shine by night, who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar— the Lord Almighty is his name:
36“Only if these decrees vanish from my sight,” declares the Lord, “will Israel ever cease being a nation before me.” declares the Lord.
37This is what the Lord says: “Only if the heavens above can be measured and the foundations of the earth below be searched out will I reject all the descendants of Israel because of all they have done,”
38“The days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when this city will be rebuilt for me from the Tower of Hananel to the Corner Gate. 39The measuring line will stretch from there straight to the hill of Gareb and then turn to Goah. 40The whole valley where dead bodies and ashes are thrown, and all the terraces out to the Kidron Valley on the east as far as the corner of the Horse Gate, will be holy to the Lord. The city will never again be uprooted or demolished.”
OH, the SHORTSIGHTEDNESS of those who claim to be Followers of THE WAY OF SALVATION
Even though the Bible warns us that it is coming, even though we are seeing it happen before our eyes, people do not want to believe. I have been telling people for years that we are EXACTLY like ancient Israel. We have gone through all the same progressions and we are coming to the place where He is about to return and we will not recognize HIM. We have turned our backs on HIM because HE does not line up with our image of who HE should be.
Take a serious look around you. The world is repeating history. The Bible warns us that there will be a famine in the land… not of food but a famine for the WORD of GOD. Amos 8:11 “Behold, the days come, saith the Lord GOD, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD:”
Just as they did in the dark ages, the ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH is preparing to take away the BIBLE. Be ready. It will soon be ILLEGAL for anyone to PROFESS to be a BIBLE Believing Christian or to PREACH the TRUE WORD OF GOD or to even OWN a BIBLE. MARK MY WORDS…it is coming sooner than you think. They will be taking your Bibles and burning them in the streets. They will be taking your children away if you try to teach them God’s word. You will be thrown into prisons and FEMA camps. You will be tortured and slaughtered. Are you READY?? DO YOU HAVE THE FAITH TO STAND?? Pray that you will be able to escape, but be prepared to face whatever comes.
Luke 18:8 “I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?”
Chris Pinto Day 1 Session 1 – 2017 Fall Conference (the history of the Bible)
Psalm 81: 9-14 Hear, O my people, and I will testify unto thee: O Israel, if thou wilt hearken unto me; There shall no strange god be in thee; neither shalt thou worship any strange god. I am the LORD thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt: open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it. But my people would not hearken to my voice, and Israel would none of me. So I gave them up unto their own hearts’ lust: and they walked in their own counsels. Oh that my people had hearkened unto me, and Israel had walked in my ways! I should soon have subdued their enemies and turned my hand against their adversaries.
Romans 8:12-17 So then, brothers, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.
1Peter 2:21 21 For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously: Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed. For ye were as sheep going astray, but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls.
The world has forgotten that before Christ, the entire world was in bondage to sin! Not to sin only but to the EVIL SPIRITS who reigned over territories. They called them gods and demi-gods. They were in bondage to worship these entities and offer sacrifices to them and obey their commands. This has been forgotten. GOD provided a way for us to BE FREE. Free from the bondage of sin but bound to him in love. To follow HIS COMMANDMENTS so that we can be truly free from evil. Free to live without danger or terror. Free to enjoy the blessings of GOD. But we are to follow in the footsteps of the Savior, as he had to die first to sin, then to self and then physically taste death. So must we, if we are to enter into eternal joy and bliss. That is what is called THE WAY. Jesus came and lived it out before us, and called us to TAKE UP OUR CROSS and FOLLOW HIM!
THAT IS WHAT IT MEANS TO BE CHOSEN OF GOD!
Remember one thing, if God broke his Covenant with ISRAEL, then we are all without hope!
Leviticus 26:40-46 (I Will Remember the Covenant)
God’s Power is Coming! (The Two Witnesses Movie)
See The Truth about SAMSON – Chosen of God