In my last post I showed how Rahab represents the pattern of how a gentile is saved.
I explained how the Israelite army “saved” her and placed her on safe ground after they had attacked Jericho.
I then went on to point out how even though she was on safe ground, she was still OUTSIDE of the camp of Israel.
She still had not fulfilled Paul’s vision when he said…“There be neither Jew nor Gentile in the body of Messiah”.
Finally, I showed how just a couple of verses later we see that she had indeed transitioned from residing OUTSIDE the camp of Israel to living INSIDE the camp of Israel and becoming ECHAD or one with God’s people.
It’s a nice Scriptural metaphor that I believe shines light on what I believe is the salvation journey every gentile should take.
However, while Scriptural metaphors and allegories are all nice and dandy, sometimes they leave us at a loss in terms of the real, practical steps one has to take to make the Scriptures a reality in our lives.
So that’s the subject of this article.
How can a gentile after accepting the Jewish Messiah as his or her Lord and Savior move from being OUTSIDE the camp of Israel to being INSIDE of it?
Well, just as it was with Rahab, there are a combination of both physical and spiritual steps you can take.
STEP ONE
Spiritually, you reject any notion of “Replacement Theology” which is the idea that the Christian Church has somehow replaced Israel as being God’s Chosen People.
“I ask then: Did God reject his people? By no means! I am an Israelite myself, a descendant of Abraham, from the tribe of Benjamin.”-Romans 11:1
STEP TWO
You must recognize and accept that through your faith in the Jewish Messiah, you have been grafted into the commonwealth of Israel. In other words, you are a wild branch that has been grafted into the Olive Tree, not the other way around. Israel is the root and shall always be the root FOREVER.
“…remember that at that time you were separate from Messiah, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. But now in Messiah Yeshua you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Messiah.”-Ephesians 2:12-13
STEP THREE
Physically, you must stop stop separating yourself from God’s Chosen people, the Jews. I mean how in the heck can you be a branch grafted into the Olive Tree if you’re not attached to it? I myself via a group Skype call worship online with a Messianic Congregation streaming live from the heart of Jerusalem and it’s such a blessing (if anyone wants info about this congregation, hit me up).
“After all, if you were cut out of an olive tree that is wild by nature, and contrary to nature were grafted into a cultivated olive tree, how much more readily will these, the natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree!”-Romans 11:24
“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned.”-John 15:5-6
STEP FOUR
Recognize that the Jewish People are your elder brothers and sisters in the faith and bless them by loving them, helping them and standing with them when persecution erupts. Be like those righteous gentiles who took the Jews into their homes and fed and cared for them during that awful Nazi reign of terror.
“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’”-Matthew 25:34-40
Of course, Yeshua is referring to his own ethnic kind here when he says…“whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me”.
So what will be the result of finally moving from being OUTSIDE the camp to going INSIDE the camp of Israel.
The difference will be like night and day…almost literally as you go from darkness to light.
You will grow from being a child in the faith who only drinks milk to an adult whose digestive system can handle real meat (Kosher meat that is).
Life itself will take on a whole new meaning that will fill your days with purpose and productive living.
Your walk in the faith will also grow stronger, increase in clarity and begin to more resemble the Messiah himself.
It will be the difference between studying a foreign language on your own by just using a textbook and actually being gently guided by a native speaker of the language.
Rich, Thank you for posting your daily articles on facebook. I live in Kuwait and have been looking for a good Messianic congregation to Zoom into. I wanted to see if I could find out more about the one you referenced in the latest article?
Also, I was a Japanese translator on the Air Force many years ago so it is good to see you are living in Japan as I miss being there.
Hi Chris, Here’s the link. They stream live from Jerusalem at 9:30am Israel time. I just spoke with the Rabbi and from this coming Shabbat, they decided to do it via Skype instead of Zoom. Here’s the link: https://join.skype.com/invite/mEa58B2QisO5
RICHOKA, I’m interested in the Messianic Congregation streaming live from the heart of Jerusalem.
My E-mail is dp.olivebcc@gmail.com
Hi Darryl, Here’s the link. They stream live from Jerusalem at 9:30am Israel time. I just spoke with the Rabbi and from this coming Shabbat, they decided to do it via Skype instead of Zoom. Here’s the link: https://join.skype.com/invite/mEa58B2QisO5