Bro. Mick Smith
Hebrews – Israelites – Jews
Hebrew
¹³ And there came one that had escaped, and told Abram the Hebrew Genesis 14:13 (KJV)
Root word to Hebrew -h5675. עָבַר ʻâbar; meaning to come from or beyond the other side.
¹ And Joshua gathered all the tribes of Israel to Shechem, and called for the elders of Israel, and for their heads, and for their judges, and for their officers; and they presented themselves before God. ² And Joshua said unto all the people, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Your fathers dwelt on the other side of the flood in old time, even Terah, the father of Abraham, and the father of Nachor: and they served other gods. ³ And I took your father Abraham from the other side of the flood, and led him throughout all the land of Canaan, and multiplied his seed, and gave him Isaac. Joshua 24:1-3 (KJV)
In Gen 12 God told Abram to get out of the country of Ur of the Chaldees and he would take him to Caanan, the promise land. So, he also came from or to cross over and beyond the other side of Jordan. He was a unknown wanderer that crossed over from that life into a covenant with God. The father of faith.
Gen 40:15; ¹⁵ For indeed I was stolen away out of the land of the Hebrews: He identified himself as being a part of the Hebrews and of the family line.
In Exodus1:15 And the king of Egypt spake to the Hebrew midwives…Pharaoh recognized them as Hebrews.
Other nations, Philistines, Egyptians and other nations, God’s people were recognized as Hebrews. They had crossed over from the flood, the land of Ur of the Chaldees and Jordan, from being wanderers to the covenant people of God by the Covenant God made with their Father, Abraham.
Hebrew is the earliest label that identified God’s people! Because Abraham crossed over or beyond his old life into a covenant relation with God through faith.
Israelites
After Jacob wrestled all night with the angel, the angel told him; ²⁸ And he said, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed. Genesis 32:28 (KJV)
Out of Jacob (Israel) came twelve sons and out of them came the twelve tribes of Israel, Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Zebulon, Joseph, Benjamin, Dan, Naphtali, Gad & Asher. God developed the Israelites from seventy souls to what is thought to have been more than three and one half million as slaves in the land of Egypt after over four hundred and thirty years of slavery who was delivered by Moses and became the Nation of Israel in Caanan the land of God’s covenant. God told them in Deut 7:6 ⁶ For thou art an holy people unto the LORD thy God; the LORD thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto himself, above all people that are upon the face of the earth. To be an Israelite was to be a part of those people of the twelve tribes, a people set apart in a covenant with God.
After the rein of King Solomon the kingdom of Israel took a dramatic turn. The nation of Israel split into two kingdoms. The northern kingdom kept the name Israel and was make up of ten tribes. The southern kingdom was called Judah. It consisted of Judah, Benjamin and many Levites who ministered in the temple. The northern kingdom fell into idolatry, setup golden calves to worship and rejected the temple in Judah and ignored the law and prophets of God, Elijah, Hosea and Amos. Finally, God’s judgment came in 722 BC, the Assyrians conquered Samaria and carried the northern tribes into exile. These became know as the lost tribes of Israel. They never reunited as the kingdom of Israel.
Judah remained with Jerusalem, its capital, and the temple continued as the center of its worship. Even though Judah struggled with sin and rebellion, because of God’s promise to David. In 2 Kgs 8:19, Yet the LORD would not destroy Judah for David his servant’s sake, as he promised him to give him always a light, and to his children From this remnant nation came their identity, the Jews.
Jews
The word Hebrew came from Abraham, the man who crossed over or beyond into a covenant relationship with God. Jacob, the man who wrestled with the angel of the Lord all night and prevailed, whose name was changed to Israel which means to rule like God. Then from the nation of Judah the term the “Jews” was derived of those who remained the covenant people of God. The word Jew came from Judah.
¹⁰ The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be. Genesis 49:10 (KJV)
By the time of the Babylonian exile the people of God had taken on the identity of “the Jews”. Writing to the Persian king identified them as such in Ezra 4:12 ¹² Be it known unto the king, that the Jews which came up from thee to us are come unto Jerusalem… Notice they are identified here as “the Jews”. In Ester during the Persian period, they are consistently identified as Jews. Ester 2:5; Now in Shushan the palace there was a certain Jew, whose name was Mordecai…Mordecai was Benjaminite yet was call a Jew.
Now let’s look at the New Testament. When wise men came from Jerusalem to Bethlehem, we see in Mat 1:2¹ Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews?
At Jesus’ trial we see in Jn 18:33 ³³ Then Pilate entered into the judgment hall again, and called Jesus, and said unto him, Art thou the King of the Jews?
At Jesus’ crucifixion, we see in Mt 27:37, And set up over his head his accusation written, THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS.
Jesus from birth to death was identified as a Jew. He was known as the Lion of the tribe of Judah! The apostle Paul shows how the identities of God’s people overlap. In Rom 11:1 … For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. He identifies himself as being an Israelite, of one of the sons of Israel (Jacob) and of the seed of Abraham, connecting himself as being of the Hebrews and of the tribe of Benjamin, which in his day would have been marked as a Jew. Also in Phil 3:5 Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews.
Abraham also had Ismael and his descendant Esau. They were Hebrews but not Israelites. Every Jew was an Israelite because they descend form one of the tribes of Israel (Jacob). Every Israelite is a Hebrew because they descend from Abraham, the Hebrew but not every Hebrew is an Israelite because Abraham had Ismael and his descendant Esau and not every Israelite is a Jew because the Jews are descendants of those of the southern kingdom of Judah.
Jesus is the ultimate fulfillment of them all. In Rev 5:5 the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof.
These titles of the people of God are not so much about the bloodline but of the chosen people of God who are by faith have been joined to God by covenant!
Paul wrote in Rom 2:28,29, For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh: ²⁹ But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God. Even though Abraham, Jacob and Judah established the identities of Hebrews, Israelites and Jews. Jesus gives us something even greater. In Galations 3:28, 29 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. ²⁹ And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise. Not because of bloodline but because of faith.
Romans 4:16-18, Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all, ¹⁷ (As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were. ¹⁸ Who against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations, according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be.
Gen 15:6 And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness.
Genesis 15:6 (KJV)
Eph 2:19 Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God; Rom 4:3 Paul quotes this scripture.
Rom 9:6-8 Not as though the word of God hath taken none effect. For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel: ⁷ Neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children: but, In Isaac shall thy seed be called. ⁸ That is, They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed. Gal 3:19 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 Christ. Jesus fulfills the promise of Abraham. Being born of him, we fulfill the Hebrew, Israel, and Jews of God’s Promise by being born again by Jesus. We’ve crossed over from death unto life through Christ!
Romans 11King James Version
11 I say then, Hath God cast away his people? God forbid. For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin.
2 God hath not cast away his people which he foreknew. Wot ye not what the scripture saith of Elias? how he maketh intercession to God against Israel saying,
3 Lord, they have killed thy prophets, and digged down thine altars; and I am left alone, and they seek my life.
4 But what saith the answer of God unto him? I have reserved to myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to the image of Baal.
5 Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace.
6 And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then it is no more grace: otherwise work is no more work.
7 What then? Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for; but the election hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded.
8 (According as it is written, God hath given them the spirit of slumber, eyes that they should not see, and ears that they should not hear;) unto this day.
9 And David saith, Let their table be made a snare, and a trap, and a stumblingblock, and a recompence unto them:
10 Let their eyes be darkened, that they may not see, and bow down their back alway.
11 I say then, Have they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid: but rather through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy.
12 Now if the fall of them be the riches of the world, and the diminishing of them the riches of the Gentiles; how much more their fulness?
13 For I speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify mine office:
14 If by any means I may provoke to emulation them which are my flesh, and might save some of them.
15 For if the casting away of them be the reconciling of the world, what shall the receiving of them be, but life from the dead?
16 For if the firstfruit be holy, the lump is also holy: and if the root be holy, so are the branches.
17 And if some of the branches be broken off, and thou, being a wild olive tree, wert grafted in among them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive tree;
18 Boast not against the branches. But if thou boast, thou bearest not the root, but the root thee.
19 Thou wilt say then, The branches were broken off, that I might be grafted in.
20 Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not highminded, but fear:
21 For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee.
22 Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off.
23 And they also, if they abide not still in unbelief, shall be grafted in: for God is able to graft them in again.
24 For if thou wert cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and wert grafted contrary to nature into a good olive tree: how much more shall these, which be the natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree?
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.
30 For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief:
31 Even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy.
32 For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all.
33 O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!
34 For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor?
35 Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again?
36 For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.
Rev 1:7
Hos 6:1-2
Rev 7:1-9