Endtime Ministries...
Australian Bible College Course

The Calvary Bible Fellowship of N.Z. has given permission for an Australian Diploma Course to be constructed along the needs of our Despatch subscribers.

Has the Christian Church taken

Has God done away with the Jews

In previous studies in this Diploma Course, the student would have seen that God has NOT finished with Israel as a chosen nation, and has NOT decreed that the Christian Church has taken Israel's place.

The differences between the Church and Israel are as follows:

1.The promises made to the Jews, as a nation, will never be invalidated by the Lord. Yes, the Christian Church is now God's tool to evangelise, but the promises made to the Christian Church are heavenly, the promises made to Israel are earthly. The Dispensational unit, "Rightly Dividing the Word of God", (unit two) dealt with this. (Romans 11:25-35).

2. The Bible makes it plain that the Jews will be restored, they are not now extinct. (Amos 9:14,15; Romans 11:25,26; Isaiah 11:11; Jer.16:14; Isaiah 43:5-7 etc).

3.The Christian Church is not a continuation of the Jewish nation of the OT, under a different title. The Christian Church is not able to pluck promises given to Israel out of the OT and apply them to the Church of the 1990s. The NT Church does not have priests, ceremonial rites, sacrifices, sacraments, altars, vestments and Temples or Tabernacles. The Christian Church can never claim to be a theocratic nation, or to have a mandate from God to take over political systems. Individuals in the Christian era are chosen by God, not nations as a whole. No nation today is a theocratic nation. The Church is an organism, a spiritual mystery, taken OUT for God's redemptive purposes. Christ is the "Head" of the Church, which is a "Body". Christ is not the "King" of a nation today. Christ Jesus will only become a King when He rules in the Millennium. The Church is a spiritual Temple, it needs no material Temple, as the Jews did. (1 Cor.12:27-31; Ephesians 1:22; Col.1:18; Eph.3:1-11; Ephesians 1:1-7).

4. The Jewish nation WAS a theocratic, i.e. Almighty God ruled over it at various stages of its history, it was a NATION chosen by God. They have been temporarily laid aside by God in this Church Age. But, they will be taken up again. Before they come into their own special place again, however, the Jews will have to undergo God's Wrath. They will not be converted as a nation, until they "Pass Under the Rod"; and are cast into God's "Melting Pot." (Ezek.20:34-38; Ezek.22:19-22; Malachi 3:1-3; Zech.13:9).

5. The Church will be taken out of God's Wrath, on the earth in the Tribulation (Rev.3:10), but Israel will go through "The Great Tribulation." Jacob's Trouble (Jer.30:4-7; Dan.12:1; Matt.24:21-31; Zech.14:1-11). Only after judgement will Israel accept their true Messiah, Jesus Christ. (Zech.12:10; Zech.14:4; Isaiah 66:8).

6. The apostate church of the end of this millennium has confused the Christian Church with Israel, and has become a political/religious structure, as though they were acting as the Chosen Nation of the OT. This time, they see themselves as taking over the whole world, not just the Promised Land as Israel did in the book of Joshua. (See enclosed notes on Dominion Theology).

GOD HAS NOT DONE AWAY WITH THE JEWISH NATION.

God will continue with His own plan for the Jews, as they are a major part of the Almighty's purpose in the Redemption of the world, and its peoples.

The Chosen Nation had a history of men who were selected by God to be Patriarchs of the Jews.
.....

(CHART ONE. The Patriarchs, Scroggie. p.131).
 

(CHART TWO. Joseph, p. 129. Scroggie).
There are scores of parallels between Joseph's history and that of the Messiah, but it will suffice for our present purpose if a few of these are names to justify the claim that Jacob's much loved son foreshadowed the Son of God's love.
 

In CHART THREE,( p.132. Scroggie) you will see the glorious unfolding drama of redemption, which shows how much the Jews are involved in God's Plan. From the Covenant with Abraham, to the time when Christ is ruling as King of the Universe, God has been causing His redemption of the world to emerge more fully. The history of the Jews is "God's answer to Man's cry" about redemption, and Christ the Only Saviour, is the Antitype to the types which dominate the history of Judaism.
.
 

The Need	The Office..	The Type..	The Office..	The Antitype..	The Writings
Someone to Reveal	Prophet	Moses	Prophet		Gospels
Someone to Represent	Priest	Aaron	Priest		Acts and Epistles
Someone to Rule	King	David	King		Revelation

"In the Old Testament Christ is predicted; in the Gospels He is present; in the Acts He is proclaimed; in the Epistles He is possessed; and in the Revelation He is predominant. Christ is the focus of all history, prophecy and type. Divine revelation converges in Him in the Old Testament, and emerges from Him in the New Testament. Both parts of the Revelation meet in Him; the one part as preparation, and the other, as realisation. In this view all parts of the Bible, from books to verses, constitute a divine progressive revelation of redeeming love; God and man meet in the One who is the God-Man."

Where do we find the record of the great Jewish COVENANT Patriarchs of the Old Testament?

1. Genesis 12-24. The record of Abraham.
2. Genesis 24-27. The record of Isaac.
3. Genesis 28-36. The record of Jacob.
 

What a fascinating nation Israel is, the Nation which shows forth the Grace of God, and His wonderful Love, to a sinful, hopeless humanity. Chosen because of love, chosen because of unmerited favour on the Almighty's part. Once I knew a secular Jew, he obviously had hardly ever read the OT Scriptures, and yet he seemed to think his designation "Jew" made him an expert on the Hebrew Scriptures. He told me once that God had chosen the Jews because God understood that the Jews were the only people on earth that would keep Jehovah's commandments. No, this is not the case, the history of the Jewish people in the Scriptures is one of failure, judgement, rejection of Jehovah, disobedience and many disgraces! Yet, God's Grace extended towards them in Love, right through the necessary punishment, dispersions and bondages under the Gentile powers. The Jew is a GRACE NATION - a credit, not to them, but unto a Merciful Creator. And Israel is an example to the all world that the God of the Bible wants to be gracious to all sinners.

ISRAEL IN THE FUTURE RESTORATION

"I will heal their backsliding.
I will love them freely; for mine anger is turned away from him.
I will be as the dew upon Israel; he shall grow like the lily, and cast forth his roots like Lebanon.

His branches shall spread, and his beauty shall be like the olive tree, and his smell like Lebanon.

They that dwell under his shadow shall return; they shall revive like the corn, and grow like the vine; the scent of it shall be like the wine of Lebanon.

Ephraim shall say, What have I to do any more with idols? I have heard him, and observed him; I am like a green fir tree. From me is thy fruit found." (Hosea 14:4-8).
 

The New Testament tells of the conversion of Abraham. Acts 7:2. Abram, or Abraham, was born around 2166 BC. His importance in the Bible record cannot be over-estimated, he is mentioned 308 times in the Bible. Not only in the Old Testament either, he is mentioned 234 times in the OT, and 74 times in the NT. Abraham was the very reason why a whole kingdom was spared for a long period, the southern kingdom (II Kings 13:23).

1. Abraham's calling is found in Gen.11:31; 12:1; Acts 7:2.

2. He had to leave his family and familiar surroundings, his own father's house at Ur,
and go out to a land he did not know - all at God's command. What faith he had!

3. His commission is significant, found in Gen.12:2; Acts 7:3. It was seven-fold:
(a)I will make of thee a great nation.
(b)I will bless thee.
(c)I will make thy name great.
(d)Thou shalt be a blessing.
(e)I will bless them that bless thee.
(f)I will curse him that curseth thee.(See the book of Esther).
(g)In thee shall all families of the earth be blessed. (This led into the Coming of the Saviour, Jesus Christ. Matt.1:1.)

ABRAHAM'S FAITH

Abraham was not, of course, the first man to believe in God, but his "faith" is a pattern in the Bible for all future believers, he was the first man of FAITH. It does not mean that Abram pleased God all the time, that he was sinless, but his example was that Abraham BELIEVED God, that was his "faith". (See Romans 4; Galatians 3:6-9; Hebrews 11:8-10, 17,19).

In Abraham we see what the Biblical word translated "imputed" means - to credit to one's account. By FAITH Abraham received God's righteousness credited to his account. As though a rich man put money into another's bank account, free of interest - it is added to his (or your) own account. Galatians 3; James 2:21-26; Romans 4:6,8,11,22,23,24. This is the righteousness of Jesus Christ imputed upon the believing sinner.

IMPUTATION IN THE BIBLE IS THREE-FOLD

This "imputation" is not only seen in righteousness. There are three Images imputations in the Scriptures, someone else putting into the account of another. There is the above imputation of undeserved righteousness, as shown first in Abraham. There is also: 1. The imputation of the sin of Adam upon the whole world, Adam's fallen race (Roman 3:23; 5:12). 2. The glorious imputation of that fallen race's sin upon the Lamb of God, the Saviour Jesus Christ (Isaiah 53:5,6; Heb.2:9; II Cor. 5:14-21; I Pet. 2:24.

GOD GAVE A SEVEN-FOLD PROPHECY TO ABRAHAM

(Outline from Willmington's Guide to the Bible). God's prophecy always comes to pass, the Almighty never fails in His prophetic word. All seven came to pass in time:

1. That Abram's descendants would be strangers in a foreign land. ~Egypt~(Gen.46:2-4).

2. That they would be servants in that land (Ex.1:7-14).

3. That this servitude would last some 400 years (Ex.12:40).

4. That God Himself would later judge that nation which enslaved Israel (Ex.7-12).

5. That Abram would be spared all this (Gen.25:7,8).

6. That after spending four long generations in Egypt, Israel would return to Canaan (Ex.6:16-20).

7. That Israel would come out of Egypt with great substance (Ex.12:35, 36; Psalm 105:37).

GOD'S COVENANT WITH ABRAHAM (Genesis 15:1-21).

In Genesis 15:1 we read for the first time the lovely words, "fear not." God tells the one who has made a lot of powerful enemies because of his actions, as shown in Genesis 14, "Fear not, Abram; I am thy shield, and thy exceedingly great reward."

Back in the story, Abram reminded God that he and Sarai still did not have a child, God once again promised Abram his old servant a child, (See Genesis 12:7). This time God adds the wonderful words: "Look now toward heaven, and count the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be" (Gen.15:5). Compare the Covenant confirmed in Genesis 22:17, and note the inspiration of God's Word. Who would have ever have believed in those days that there were as many stars in the sky as there are grains of sand on the seashore? Both are impossible to count.

Abraham was also promised he would father other nations (Gen.17:6,20). This was fulfilled principally through Ishmael and Esau. The Ishmaelites came from Ishmael, and Esau cast his lot with the Ishmaelite tribes, drove the Horites out of Mount Seir, and settled in that region. Esau finally left Canaan permanently and became a wealthy chief in Edom (Gen.26:34,35; Gen.28:8,9).

When God had finished, Abram "believed in the Lord; and it he counted it unto him for righteousness." This is the first Biblical mention of the three words for redemption "believed" "counted" and imputed "righteousness".

THE STRANGEST ANSWER IN THE BIBLE

When Abraham asked God how he could be sure that all the things God promised him were true, God ordered His servant to gather some animals and birds. Dr. Donald Barnhouse writes about this answer: "This in one of the strangest answers ever given to a question. Yet, it was the only possible answer. The question was, 'How am I to know I shall possess the promised land? The answer is, 'Bring me a heifer!' One might think the dial of the radio had slipped from one program to another. The question is asked on a program of legal advice. The answer from a broadcast of a department of agriculture. But as we shall soon see, both the heifer and the inheritance are bound together in the mind of God." ("Genesis", Vol.1).

WHAT HAVE WE HERE??

Today if we made an agreement with someone, perhaps to sell them our house, we would sign a contract, both must sign to make it legal, solicitors would advise, and so on. In Abram's day the two parties to an agreement would slaughter some animals, cut them in pieces, and arrange the pieces in two lines. Then the two parties would solemnly walk together down the middle of the lines. What they were doing was pledging in the presence of blood, suffering and death, that they surely intended to keep the terms of the contract.

There are three kinds of legal covenants in OT Scripture:
 

1. The covenant of blood (Gen.15:10; Jer.34:18,19);

2. The covenant of a shoe (Ruth 4:7,8);

3. The covenant of salt (Num.18:19; II Chron.13:5).
 

UNCONDITIONAL PROMISES

That Israel today has been promised the Holy Land is shown right from the Covenant of the Almighty with Abraham, who believed God. God Himself made a covenant in blood to that effect! There were no heavenly strings attached, Abraham and his seed's possession of Palestine and its wealth was: 1. ANNOUNCED in Genesis 12:1-4; 2. CONFIRMED in Genesis 13:14-17; 3. And legally RATIFIED in BLOOD in Genesis 15:8-18.

CHART FIVE - The Royal Grant to Abraham (p.66. Larkin).(send for chart if not clear)
 
 
 

 
Abraham was put into a deep sleep by God, and as he slept, God's presence actually passed through the covenant pieces of animals ALONE. Abraham did not have to walk between the bloody lines, why not? Because there were no conditions, nothing for Abraham to do. It was GOD who ratified the promise by Himself. He will never break that contract with His Chosen Nation, He will never cast them away forever, or give the Promised Land to any other peoples. He has pledged in BLOOD!

WHY "ABRAM" AND "ABRAHAM"?

Two names, same man. Abram's name was changed to "Abraham" which means, "Father of a great multitude." Abram becomes Abraham in Genesis 17:4-5. In chapter seventeen the Abrahamic Covenant is confirmed again, this time by God as EL SHADDAI, Almighty God.

God commands Abraham to circumcise himself and all the male children of his household (17:9-14). And each future male child was to be circumcised on the eighth day of birth. Abraham was the first man to be circumcised. Circumcision of the flesh, without circumcision of the heart, was seen by Abraham himself as worthless, and is shown so in Scripture (Deut. 10:12,16). The Christian Church set aside circumcision in Acts 15:28 & 29.

SCOFIELD COMMENTS:

"God's promises to Abram and his seed certainly did not terminate at Sinai with the giving of the law (Gal.3:17). Both OT and NT are full of post-Sinaitic promises concerning Israel and the land which is to be Israel's everlasting possession (Ex.32:13; 33:1-3; Lev. 23:10; 25:2; 26:6; Dt 6:1-23; 8:1-18; Josh. 1:2,11; 24:13; Acts 7:17; Rom.9:4). But, as a specific test of Israel's stewardship of divine truth, the dispensation of Promise was superseded, though not annulled, by the law that was given at Sinai (Ex.19:3ff)."

THE ANGEL OF THE LORD

In Abraham's life-span the first mention of the "Angel of the Lord" appears in Scripture. Many Biblical scholars state that this "Angel of the Lord" is another name for Christ Jesus, His appearing before His incarnation, called a "Theophany". The passage shows our Lord's love and compassion toward sinners, it is a lovely one indeed! Abraham had compromised (Genesis 16:1-15). Sarai had talked Abram into fathering a child with her Egyptian maid Hagar, so that they could adopt the child. Ishmael was born when Abram was 86 years old. Hagar was very arrogant during her pregnancy, resulting in her dismissal from the household by Sarai. God, by the way never approved polygamy, He only permitted it in the OT (Gen.2:23; 1 Tim.3:2; compare Gen.16:5).

Hagar was found by the Angel of the Lord (the Lord Jesus Christ) beside a desert spring, and he commanded her to return to Abram and Sarai. Ishmael, the child of Hagar and Abram, was the progenitor of the Arabs, Muhammed, the founder of Islam, came from the line of Ishmael. The line of Ishmael has always been traditionally the enemy of Israel. Abram's lapse into unbelief brought a heavy penalty!

THE ANGEL OF THE LORD IN ISRAEL'S HISTORY

(Outline notes from Willmington).
We Christians can gain great insight when we realise that the Angel of the Lord, Jesus Christ, was with Israel throughout the Old Testament: 1. The Angel of the Lord wrestled with Jacob (Gen 32:24-30). 2. The Angel of the Lord redeems Jacob (Gen 48:16). 3. The Angel of the Lord speaks to Moses from the burning bush (Ex.3:2). 4. The Angel of the Lord protects Israel at the Red Sea (Ex.14:19). 5. The Angel of the Lord prepares Israel for the Promised Land (Ex.23:20-23; Psalm 34:7; Isa.63:9; 1 Cor.10:1-4). 6. The Angel of the Lord commissions Gideon (Judges 6:11). 7. The Angel of the Lord ministers to Elijah (1 Kings 19:7). 8. The Angel of the Lord reassures Joshua (Josh.5:13-15). 9. The Angel of the Lord saves Jerusalem (Isaiah 37:36). 10. The Angel of the Lord preserves three Hebrew young men (Dan.3:25).
 
 
 

The birth of the child of promise, Isaac, is found in Genesis 21:1-8. After the rite of circumcision (v.4) Isaac became identified with the nation of Israel (Gen,17:10). The sign of the Abrahamic Covenant was Circumcision, just as the sign for the Noahic Covenant was The Rainbow, the Mosaic Covenant was the Sabbath, and the Davidic Covenant was A Son.

ISAAC TYPES OF CHRIST JESUS

The whole Old Testament is filled with types, of which the Antitype is Christ Jesus our Lord, the Messiah of the Jews. One of the most beautiful types of Christ is Isaac, as found in Gen.24. Here Isaac is a type of the Bridegroom who goes out to meet and receive His bride (Genesis 24:63-67; 1 Thess 4:14-17).

In chapter 24 of Genesis, the glory of the types is breath-taking! It will do our hearts good, as well as our minds, to contemplate on these lovely shadows of our Lord, the Holy Spirit, the Heavenly Father and the Church.

1. Abraham is the type of a certain king who wants to make a marriage for his son (Matt.22:2). The Heavenly Father is seen here.

2. The unnamed servant is a type of the Blessed Holy Spirit, who does not speak of Himself, but presents the Bridegroom, and seeks to win the bride by speaking of the attributes of Him. (John 16:13-14).

3. The servant (Antitype of the Holy Spirit) gives to the bride the Bridegroom's gifts, not his own, not for Himself and His glory (Gal.5:22-23).

4. The servant brings the bride to the meeting with Bridegroom, "whom having not seen" knows Him because of the testimony and inspiration of the unnamed servant (Acts 13:4; 16:6-7; Romans 8:11; 1 Thess 4:14-17).

5. Rebekah is the type of the Church, the ecclesia, the "called out" virgin, the bride of Christ (Gen.24:16; II Cor.11:2; Eph.5:25-32).

6. ISAAC is the type of the BRIDEGROOM - he goes out to get the Bride, He takes her home, she becomes His wife in consummation.

SOME EVENTS IN THE LIVES OF ABRAM, SARAI,
which are a part also of ISAAC'S Story.

Seven tragic results because Abram doubted God: 1.He grieved God.2.His own faith was shaken.3.He made Sarai doubt God too.4.Lot, his nephew, did not trust his faith or his God any more.5.He was the secondary cause of the Pharaoh's affliction.6.He doubted God, and chose Hagar sinfully.7.His life was a bad example, in many ways, to his son,Isaac. Gen.12:10-20. Egypt is a type of the world, a warning to us not to "journey" into the world, by action or thought.

The heir, the promised child of the covenant, is born in miraculous circumstances. Gen.21.

THE LAMB OF GOD.

The foreshadow of the Cross of Calvary is seen in the great type of the offered sacrifice of Isaac. At the location of Mt.Moriah, thought to be Golgotha, God uses a new name for Himself - Jehovah Jireh, "The Lord will Provide". God Himself provides the lamb. Gen.22.

Sarah, whose name was changed from Sarai, Sarah which means "a princess", dies at 127 and is buried in a cave at Machpelah. Gen.23.

Abraham dies at the age of 175, buried in the cave of Machpelah. Gen.25:7-10. He is remembered as a man of God, of great faith. Hebrews 11:8-10.

ISAACS LIFE CONTINUES

Isaac becomes a loving groom, he sees Rebekah for the first time.Gen.24:62-67. He then becomes the father of twins Esau and Jacob. Gen.25:19-26. Amazingly, Isaac also lies about his wife, as his father did, and also leaves Palestine because of a famine, as Abraham did. Gen.26:1-11.

The strange story of Jacob stealing the blessing intended for Esau happens to their father Isaac, at the ripe old age of 97. Rebekah, his beloved wife, aids Jacob's plot to deceive the near-blind Isaac. Gen.27:1-45.

Isaac was, in some ways, a good father, in other ways he failed. Although he was such a Godly, submissive son to Abraham, after all he was willing to be sacrificed (Gen.22:7-10), and he was willing to allow a bride to be chosen for him (Gen.24), he becomes a sensual man. Two very human passages show this fault in Isaac's character: The "window" passage (Gen.26:8; cp Gen.20), and the food passage, which shows what a great place food had in Isaac's life (Gen.27:1-4).

Isaac was an indulgent, permissive father and husband: He could not control Esau, who married not one but two heathen girls! (Gen.26:34). He obviously could not be the head of Rebekah, she felt free to deceive him when she wanted to (Gen.27:5-13). And when Jacob's turn came to choose his father's authority or his mother's, he chose his mother's (Gen.27:13). Isaac was, however, despite his many inconsistencies, a man of faith. (Gen.28:1-4;22:7-10; Heb.11:20).

Isaac really lived quite an uneventful life, which did not have the great moments of his father's.
 

CHART SIX. p.116. Scroggie.
 

Jacob (Gen. 25:27-36; 38).

CHART SEVEN. p.118. Scroggie.
 

1. Supplanter - Beersheba;

2. Servant - Padan-aram;

3. Saint - Hebron;

4. Seer - Egypt.
 

There is not much to say about Isaac really, Jacob is of much greater importance, for his name is changed to Israel, and from him springs the Tribes of Israel, the family had become nation.

1. SUPPLANTER - BEERSHEBA

The first seventy seven years of Jacob's life are seen in Genesis 25:19 to 28:9. Here we find the account of his birth; his obtaining of Esau's birthright; securing the blessing of the firstborn from his father, although he wasn't the firstborn; Esau's hatred of him, because of his evil cheating; Isaac's blessing of his son, and how Jacob was sent to Padan-aram. The key to this birthright and blessing is seen in Ch.25:23, "The elder shall serve the younger."

The birthright meant that the elder would become the spiritual head of his people. Jacob took precedent over the elder, Esau, which was in God's purpose. The wrong was not in Jacob getting the birthright, God intended him to do so, but in the tricky way he obtained it. (Gen.25:29-34). God's purposes must come to pass in God's appointed time and way - how important for ourselves to remember this!

The blessing was obtained by cunning and deceit, which always leads to more, in a chain reaction. What Jacob had stolen from his brother, he must secure from his father. Here we see an interesting thing - Isaac and Rebekah both were very well aware of the prediction in Gen.25:23, but both of them had a sinful attitude to this. Isaac planned that Esau should have the blessing Gen. 27(1-4); but Rebekah plotted carnally to get it for Jacob Gen. 27 (6-10). What a drama it all is, it makes Shakespeare's Macbeth look tame! In the background of the drama, GOD has His purpose, and ALL of it is in His hands.

FOUR PEOPLE DOING A RIGHT THING IN A WRONG WAY.

Each person in the drama was to blame, and each suffered. Isaac was deceived; Esau was robbed; Rebekah lost her dearest son forever, for the last time we hear of her is when he left home (ch.28); and Jacob was exiled for twenty years. "The way of the transgressors is hard." God had to discipline Jacob, if he was to become the man of destiny He intended him to be. God had a mighty redeeming purpose for mankind to fulfil, and Jacob was a part of it.

2. SERVANT - PADAN-ARAM.

(Gen.28:10-33:43). When Jacob was seventy seven years of age he left Hebron, and went to Haran about 450 miles away. He was sent there because his family did not want him to marry outside the Hebrew family, as Esau had done. Terah had settled there and died, and his offspring through Nahor now lived there. This move shows something more than just family respect, it shows a regard for the Covenant that God had made with Abraham, which was eventually repeated to himself. He recognised a chosen line, a race which must be safeguarded, and kept unblemished.

In exile from the land of promise, Jacob spent twenty years, which is one-seventh of the whole of his life. When he came back, he stopped at Bethel, when he went to Haran, he halted at Peniel, each place has become spiritually famous because of those stops, and what happened there.

BETHEL

(Gen.28:10-22). Jacob had his first spiritual experience here. It was most likely his conversion, or what would be the equivalent in those OT days. A glorious experience it was too, he saw that earth and heaven are somehow connected (v12), and the very voice of God came to him. One can only imagine how this happening would affect his entire life from that time onward, Scroggie comments:

"The Lord is the God of his father and grandfather. The land on which he was lying was given to him and his posterity. His seed would be innumerable, and would spread abroad to all quarters of the earth; and in that seed all families of the earth would be blessed. Jacob was assured of the Divine presence and protection, and of the certainty of the Divine promise." (Gen.13:15).

PADAN-ARAM.

(Gen. 29;30). While Jacob was away he married Leah and Rachel, and with their two handmaids he fathered eleven sons and some daughters. No one who had the experience of Bethel could stay away from the promised land forever, away in Mesopotamia, so he expressed the desire to return home after the birth of Joseph (30:25).

3. THE SAINT - HEBRON (Gen.31:14).

In much of the story of Jacob, we see he is certainly no saint! He was however a saint in the making. We need to see the way in which God guided him, and transformed him for His own redemptive purposes. ALL of it had to do with the land of promise, and God's purpose for that land, which has never been taken away from the Jews, even when they were scattered, but will be theirs again in the Millennial Reign of Christ.

The purpose God had for Jacob could have advanced rapidly, but Jacob kept on putting up delaying actions! How about us, do we delay God's purposes in our lives by disobedience? These delaying passages are found in Genesis - 12:10-20; 15; 20; 26:6-10; 27-30; 33; 34.

A Gap of Twenty Years. God appeared to Jacob at Bethel, when he was on his way to Padan-aram. There Jacob vowed that he would come again to his father's house in peace (Gen.28:21). After twenty years, the Lord appeared again to him at Padan-aram and said: "Return to the land of thy fathers, and to thy kindred; and I will be with thee" (31:3,13; 32:9). Of course this "land" was the promised land of Canaan; and "to thy kindred" meant Hebron, back to Isaac. God took Jacob back, as Jacob had promised to do. Jacob had two enemies, one behind him, Laban, and one in front of him, Esau. Jacob made a covenant with the enemy behind, in Mount Gilead (31:25-55) - and then he advanced to the enemy in front of him (32).

A second major spiritual experience. At a ford called Jabbok, which is about midway between the Sea of Galilee and the Dead Sea, on the east of Jordan, Jacob was left alone at night, his company had been sent ahead. Then a Wrestler, who was the Angel of the Lord, a pre-incarnation appearance of Christ Jesus, crippled Jacob in a struggle. They wrestled until daybreak, but Jacob would not let go until he received a blessing. Then his name is changed from Jacob, the "supplanter", the "substitute", to Israel, "the prince of God" ( Gen.32:24-32).

The name of the place where he wrestled was Peniel, meaning "the face of God", titled by Jacob himself. The two great landmarks of Jacob's life were Bethel and Peniel, the first marks his conversion, and the second his consecration.

God reaffirmed the Covenant He had made with Abraham and Isaac this time with Jacob (35:1-15). Jacob's journey from Shecham to Hebron was a sorrowful one, the death occurred of Deborah and Rachel, and his son Reuben sinned, but Jacob was right in the will of God! (35: 1-26).

It is very important to realise that in the year that Jacob returned to Hebron his son Joseph was sold into slavery in Egypt (Gen.37:27); and that Isaac lived for twelve years after Jacob returned; then Jacob lived in Hebron for twenty two years, and then he went down into Egypt.

Even though Jacob was in the will of God, almost immediately he returned to Hebron, he lost his most beloved son Joseph, and for over twenty long years he mourned his son because he thought he was dead, and then after twelve years Jacob lost his father.

A TREMENDOUS LESSON FOR US ALL.

The story of Jacob has many lessons for us today, as do all the OT stories. The dealing of God with human beings, in some ways, changes not. How did the cheating Jacob become the saint Israel at Hebron? Hebron means "fellowship", and the twenty two years at Hebron were a time of discipleship and discipline, as Scroggie points out. Let us deliberate upon the dealings of God with Jacob, applying the lesson to ourselves, and our lives, and understand that as God dealt with Jacob, so God deals with us. Just because everything is not "going well" in our estimation does not mean that God is NOT in control, and dealing with us. Isn't that the Images problem with the prosperity doctrines of the pop-culture religions? We do not have to be wealthy, healthy and have perfect families in order to be in the centre of God's will for us! The notes of the great Bible expositor, W.Graham Scroggie, bring out the application for us:

"The twenty two years at Hebron...[Jacob] would think of his grandparents, and parents; of Leah and Rachel; of the birthright and the blessing he stole; of the experiences he had at Bethel when he left home; of the regrettable twenty years at Padan-aram; of the Peniel experience on the way home; of the reconciliation with Esau; of his foolish and costly delay on his way back to Bethel; of his reunion with his aged father; and of God's patience with him. and goodness to him through the years.

These memories and experiences ripened him into sainthood, and made him more worthy of his name ISRAEL. But the end was not yet. He had still a ministry to perform, and in some respects it was the greatest of his life." (p.p.125-126).

The use of the word "saint" above is of course not in the Catholic sense, but rather as a word to describe spiritual maturity.

THE TWELVE TRIBES OF ISRAEL.

READ Genesis 36:1-40:13. "He that is now called a prophet was beforetime called a seer"
(I Samuel 9:9). Here we will look at three Bible expositors' notes, to get a good grasp of the beginnings of the Tribes of Israel.

1. Edersheim writes of the words spoken about Joseph's two sons and Jacob's twelve sons, as being prophetic programs; "sketches of the tribes in their grand characteristics rather than predictions of special events, or of the history of Israel as a whole."

2. Hastings writes of Jacob: "Round his dying bed the powers of the world to come arrayed themselves, and there fell on him the breath of clear exalted prophecy. From the shadows of his own coming end, his eye ranged along the ages until, in prophetic insight, he saw the Conqueror of death."

3. Scroggie comments: "A seer is one who sees, and it was in Egypt that Jacob saw things which are still in process of fulfilment....Jacob's dying words mark the close of the Patriarchal dispensation. The first patriarch had developed into a family, and the family was now beginning to develop into a nation, and so it was eminently suitable that the last of the patriarchs should look back, and look on; should review the past, and predict the future." (p.p.126).

The Hebrew family which began with only one name, ends with seventy five names, as according to Acts 7:14. This record of 361 years records the training of the patriarchs of Israel, and shows how Israel was being prepared in the Divine purpose to take its part in His redemption of the world.

CHART EIGHT. Scroggie, p.127
 

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