The
Children Of Abraham- Part Two
The Descendants Of Sarah
To understand Israel’s end time destiny and how the church is connected to that destiny, we must go back to the man in scripture that started it all – Abraham. There are three different generational lines that comprise Abraham’s descendants. Abraham had three wives – Hagar, Sarah and Keturah – and had children by each. Even though most Bible teaching on the line of Abraham centers mainly on Sarah, as it probably should, since ISAAC was the promised seed through which Messiah came and will ultimately rule the Earth from Jerusalem, we must also understand the roles and origins of Hagar and Keturah to show us the greater work of God’s dealings with the Middle East, specially that of the lineage of Ishmael, With nearly 1.2 billion Muslims in the world today and Islam being the fastest growing threat to Christianity and Israel – it would serve us wisely to understand these peoples and see what impact their salvation will ultimately have on the Middle East.
By Chris McDonald
TEXT: Zech. 8:23 - Thus saith the Lord of hosts; In those days it shall come to pass, that ten men shall take hold out of all languages of the nations, even shall take hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew, saying, We will go with you: for we have heard that God is with you.
Part two of our message series on the children of Abraham turns our attention to the Patriarch’s descendants through Sarah, the Jewish people. The Psalmist declares that the children of Israel are without a doubt a "people near to the heart" of God.
Psalm 148:14
He also exalteth the horn of his people, the praise of all his saints; even of
the children of Israel, a people near unto him. Praise ye the Lord.
Some 13 years after the
birth of Ishmael, Abraham's firstborn son, God appeared to the now 99-year-old
Patriarch and said:
Genesis 17:1
And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the Lord appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect.
This is the first time God revealed Himself as “God Almighty,” or, in Hebrew, El Shaddai, which means “All Sufficient One.” The Hebrew word, shad is always translated as “breast.” In the same way a mother provides all that is sufficient for her newborn’s nourishment, God was about to reveal to Abram that He is all-powerful and able to satisfy with “blessings of the breasts and of the womb.”
Genesis 49:25
Even by the God of thy father, who shall help thee; and by the Almighty, who shall bless thee with blessings of heaven above, blessings of the deep that lieth under, blessings of the breasts, and of the womb:
This is also the way God chose to reveal Himself to ISAAC, JACOB, JOSEPH, MOSES and many others. It is the way that we must see God if we are to intercede on behalf of the descendants of Sarah.
Isaac, The Miracle Child
The Lord promised Abram, the father of faith, a child and just like the Lord, He had a surprise for Abraham!
Genesis 17:2-7
And I will make my covenant between me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly. [3] And Abram fell on his face: and God talked with him, saying, [4] As for me, behold, my covenant is with thee, and thou shalt be a father of many nations. [5] Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for a father of many nations have I made thee. [6] And I will make thee exceeding fruitful, and I will make nations of thee, and kings shall come out of thee. [7] And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee.
Genesis 17:15-17
And God said unto Abraham, As for Sarai thy wife, thou shalt not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall her name be. [16] And I will bless her, and give thee a son also of her: yea, I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations; kings of people shall be of her. [17] Then Abraham fell upon his face, and laughed, and said in his heart, Shall a child be born unto him that is an hundred years old? and shall Sarah, that is ninety years old, bear?
God reassured Abraham that is was not ishmale who would fufill His promise of a child from his own body He said:
Genesis 17:19
And God said, Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son indeed; and thou shalt call his name Isaac: and I will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his seed after him.
Genesis 17:21
But my covenant will I establish with Isaac, which Sarah shall bear unto thee at this set time in the next year.
Shortly after this exchange the Lord visited Abraham again at his tent door in the heat of the day as three men, or angels. Abraham greeted them quickly and asked them to stay and rest with him. After receiving the food Abraham prepared for them to eat, the Lord said to him:
Genesis 18:1-10
And the Lord appeared unto him in the plains of Mamre: and he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day; [2] And he lift up his eyes and looked, and, lo, three men stood by him: and when he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself toward the ground, [3] And said, My Lord, if now I have found favour in thy sight, pass not away, I pray thee, from thy servant: [4] Let a little water, I pray you, be fetched, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree: [5] And I will fetch a morsel of bread, and comfort ye your hearts; after that ye shall pass on: for therefore are ye come to your servant. And they said, So do, as thou hast said. [6] And Abraham hastened into the tent unto Sarah, and said, Make ready quickly three measures of fine meal, knead it, and make cakes upon the hearth. [7] And Abraham ran unto the herd, and fetcht a calf tender and good, and gave it unto a young man; and he hasted to dress it. [8] And he took butter, and milk, and the calf which he had dressed, and set it before them; and he stood by them under the tree, and they did eat.
[9] And they said unto him, Where is Sarah thy wife? And he said, Behold, in the tent. [10] And he said, I will certainly return unto thee according to the time of life; and, lo, Sarah thy wife shall have a son. And Sarah heard it in the tent door, which was behind him.
Sarah was listening nearby at the tent door, and the Bible records that:
Genesis 18:12-15
Therefore Sarah laughed within herself, saying, After I am waxed old shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also? [13] And the Lord said unto Abraham, Wherefore did Sarah laugh, saying, Shall I of a surety bear a child, which am old? [14] Is any thing too hard for the Lord? At the time appointed I will return unto thee, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son. [15] Then Sarah denied, saying, I laughed not; for she was afraid. And he said, Nay; but thou didst laugh.
Abraham and Sarah were old, advanced in age. Sarah was way past a normal women’s ability to have a child. But God decided that they were not too old to receive a very special gift with laughter and a smile to boot! It seems as though the Lord derived great enjoyment from this whole affair! Abraham laughed and Sarah laughed but I guess you could say that God had the LAST LAUGH (As He always does as He graciously deals with us on a daily basis!) on the matter because Isaac, the son of Promise, literally means “he laughs!”
Genesis 21:1-7
And the Lord visited Sarah as he had said, and the Lord did unto Sarah as he had spoken. [2] For Sarah conceived, and bare Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of which God had spoken to him. [3] And Abraham called the name of his son that was born unto him, whom Sarah bare to him, Isaac. [4] And Abraham circumcised his son Isaac being eight days old, as God had commanded him. [5] And Abraham was an hundred years old, when his son Isaac was born unto him. [6] And Sarah said, God hath made me to laugh, so that all that hear will laugh with me. [7] And she said, Who would have said unto Abraham, that Sarah should have given children suck? for I have born him a son in his old age.
What a joyful moment for Sarah and Abraham! This was the birth of the promised child of faith; not another frustration-motivated attempt to bring the promise to pass. Abraham circumcised Isaac when he was eight days old, as God had commanded him. The number EIGHT was used in Scripture to signify a time of new beginning. This new beginning was conceived when Abram had FAITH for the impossible and believed God. I want to say that last statement again – HE BELIEVED GOD. He BELIEVED and God accounted it unto him righteousness. Oh, Hallelujah. Oh, Praise God. The power of the Holy Ghost is washing over me right now as I write those words – “ABRAHAM BELIEVED GOD.”
Romans 4:1-25
What shall we say then that Abraham our father, as pertaining to the flesh, hath found? [2] For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not before God. [3] For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.
Neighbor, listen to me. You may have your back against the wall and the future at this moment is looking darker than night – but BELIEVE GOD! When the enemy comes in like a flood, BELIEVE God and see the Redeemer raise up a standard against him! When your children are living like hell itself and you don’t know whether they will make it or not – BELIEVE GOD. Those two words are the greatest need for the modern church. It’s not “Believe” in the purpose driven life or the government of 12 programs. It’s not “believe” in my denomination or my church. There is NO salvation in the church. BELIEVE GOD, BELIEVE GOD, BELIEVE GOD – those are the words we need to hear. Those are the words we need to sing. Those are the words we need to pray. Those are the words of eternal life – BELIEVE GOD. Abraham BELIEVED GOD!
As those words pertain to our praying for Israel, we too, must have FAITH for what we see as impossible for the nation of Israel, fully confident that our joy will be made full when the impossible comes to pass. I believe the idea of a unity between the Jewish and Arab parts of the world is impossible in the minds of many. BUT WITH GOD ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE TO THOSE WHO BELIEVE! And if we are to pray for Abraham’s children, especially those of Sarah – the lineage of Messiah, we must BELIEVE, we must believe!
The Descendants Of Sarah
Who are the descendants of Sarah? What does this phrase mean? Isaac was the only child that Abraham and Sarah had through their union. He in turn married the beautiful maiden, Rebekah, who as you probably know, brought forth two struggling twin boys – Esau and Jacob.
Genesis 24:67
And Isaac brought her into his mother Sarah's tent, and took Rebekah, and she became his wife; and he loved her: and Isaac was comforted after his mother's death.
Genesis 25:21
And Isaac intreated the Lord for his wife, because she was barren: and the Lord was intreated of him, and Rebekah his wife conceived.
As time passed Jacob, with the help of his mother, treacherously stole the blessing of the firstborn son away from Esau. Jacob, the heel-grabber and supplanter, fled with the blessing, which could not be revoked. My Lord, that is making me want to shout some more. Neighbor, when God delivers a blessing over your life – IT IS NEVER REVOKED! The GIFTS and CALLINGS of God are WITHOUT repentance! Yes, in the strict sense of the passage, that is referring to the call of salvation to National Israel, but it speaks of God’s unending mercy to those who will BELIEVE! His mercy will set the captive free! Jacob was not deserving of the blessing but once it was given, the Lord said, “FOREVER!”
Jacob met and became dazzled by Rachel, arranged to marry her and, in turn, was deceived by Laban, her father. Remember this friend. The Jacob IN YOU will always find the JACOB in another! Jacob ran into himself in the person of his father-in-law Laban. Jacob was given Leah, the older and weak-eyed daughter, instead of Rachel. Not a good surprise on his wedding night! But seven days later Jacob got his wish, receiving Rachel also as his much sought-after bride, although he had to work another seven years for her. (Genesis 29)
Leah had no problem bearing sons for Jacob, and this caused jealousy and desperation in Rachel.
Genesis 30:1
And when Rachel saw that she bare Jacob no children, Rachel envied her sister; and said unto Jacob, Give me children, or else I die.
The competition was now on and through many trials, errors and woes, Rachel, finally, bore a child:
Genesis 30:22-24
And God remembered Rachel, and God hearkened to her, and opened her womb. [23] And she conceived, and bare a son; and said, God hath taken away my reproach: [24] And she called his name Joseph; and said, The Lord shall add to me another son.
Keep in mind, these children born to both Rachel and Leah, were Abraham and Sarah’s grandsons. These were the descendants of SARAH! As the saga unfolded, Jacob had a heavenly encounter and wrestled with the angel of the Lord throughout the night. Jacob prevailed in this wrestling match, received a blessing and his name was changed from Jacob, “the deceiver,” to “Israel.”
As one commentator put it concerning Jacob, “The identity of Israel is given initially to Abraham’s grandson Jacob. In his unredeemed nature, Jacob does not always behave honorably, scheming, and deceiving his older brother Esau out of his birthright. When Esau seeks revenge, Jacob flees from his life. Frankly, the young man strikes us as unlikely candidate for the Lord’s everlasting favor.”
Jacob wrestled with the Lord and won. Actually the Lord let Jacob THINK he won, just like He does with you and me. The Lord was, in reality, the one who won out; Jacob’s nature was changed, and he walked with a limp from that day forward. The name ISRAEL means:
“To strive, persist or exert oneself.” Second, Yisrael stands for ‘prince with God,’ from a play on the Hebrew words sar meaning “prince” and El. Combining both meanings, we could say that Yisrael is a prince who has striven with God and men, and overcome.”
Genesis 32:28
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.
Now Israel, like, Ishmael, the son of Hagar, became the father of many sons. Twelve tribes emerge from his lineage:
Genesis 30:1-24
And when Rachel saw that she bare Jacob no children, Rachel envied her sister; and said unto Jacob, Give me children, or else I die. [2] And Jacob's anger was kindled against Rachel: and he said, Am I in God's stead, who hath withheld from thee the fruit of the womb? [3] And she said, Behold my maid Bilhah, go in unto her; and she shall bear upon my knees that I may also have children by her. [4] And she gave him Bilhah her handmaid to wife: and Jacob went in unto her. [5] And Bilhah conceived, and bare Jacob a son. [6] And Rachel said, God hath judged me, and hath also heard my voice, and hath given me a son: therefore called she his name Dan. [7] And Bilhah Rachel's maid conceived again, and bare Jacob a second son. [8] And Rachel said, With great wrestlings have I wrestled with my sister, and I have prevailed: and she called his name Naphtali. [9] When Leah saw that she had left bearing, she took Zilpah her maid, and gave her Jacob to wife. [10] And Zilpah Leah's maid bare Jacob a son. [11] And Leah said, A troop cometh: and she called his name Gad. [12] And Zilpah Leah's maid bare Jacob a second son. [13] And Leah said, Happy am I, for the daughters will call me blessed: and she called his name Asher. [14] And Reuben went in the days of wheat harvest, and found mandrakes in the field, and brought them unto his mother Leah. Then Rachel said to Leah, Give me, I pray thee, of thy son's mandrakes. [15] And she said unto her, Is it a small matter that thou hast taken my husband? and wouldest thou take away my son's mandrakes also? And Rachel said, Therefore he shall lie with thee to night for thy son's mandrakes. [16] And Jacob came out of the field in the evening, and Leah went out to meet him, and said, Thou must come in unto me; for surely I have hired thee with my son's mandrakes. And he lay with her that night. [17] And God hearkened unto Leah, and she conceived, and bare Jacob the fifth son. [18] And Leah said, God hath given me my hire, because I have given my maiden to my husband: and she called his name Issachar. [19] And Leah conceived again, and bare Jacob the sixth son. [20] And Leah said, God hath endued me with a good dowry; now will my husband dwell with me, because I have born him six sons: and she called his name Zebulun. [21] And afterwards she bare a daughter, and called her name Dinah.
[22] And God remembered Rachel, and God hearkened to her, and opened her womb. [23] And she conceived, and bare a son; and said, God hath taken away my reproach: [24] And she called his name Joseph; and said, The Lord shall add to me another son.
Genesis 35:16-18
And they journeyed from Bethel; and there was but a little way to come to Ephrath: and Rachel travailed, and she had hard labor. [17] And it came to pass, when she was in hard labor, that the midwife said unto her, Fear not; thou shall have this son also. [18] And it came to pass, as her soul was in departing, (for she died) that she called his name Ben-oni: but his father called him Benjamin.
Prophetic interpretation tells us that 12 is the number of governmental authority. Jesus, chose 12 disciples. Israel brought forth twelve full tribes, and these became the DESCENDANTS OF ABRAHAM THOUGH SARAH, who inherited the covenant promises of God!
One of these twelve sons of Jacob was named JUDAH, meaning “thanks,” or “praise.” The Messiah Himself is known as the LION FROM THE TRIBE OF JUDAH.
Rev. 5:5
And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof.
It is from the name JUDAH that the term JEW has derived. The Jews are literally God’s chosen people created for God’s PRAISE! It is the tribe of Judah that the progenitor for the world’s salvation was born! That is why the descendants of Abraham through Sarah are important! They birthed the SAVIOUR of the World, the Messiah of Israel, the Son of the Living God, the BRIGHT AND THE MORNING STAR, THE FAIREST OF TEN THOUSAND, the Living WORD!
It is upon this foundation that we see the covenant plan of God for the entire world through the nation of Israel.
God’s Covenant Plan
God’s covenant with Israel is one of the oldest legal contracts in history! He made the covenant with Abraham and then passed it on to Isaac. The generational blessing proceeded on to Jacob, whose name was changed to Israel. As Jacob’s life was transformed, he passed the torch on to his clan of twelve, who inherited the promise. The “Jews” as a unique people of faith came into existence then, and the covenant plan of God was secured. More than 3,0000 ears after it was enacted with Abraham, this covenant contract is still in force today.
The specifics of this contract are laid out in Scripture for all to read. Unlike human contracts, which have time limitations God’s covenant promises are tied to HIS NATURE of FAITHFULNESS, mercy and LOVE! His plans are ETERNAL – without END – and God’s covenant with Abraham was unconditional. It is, therefore, ultimately God who will KEEP HIS WORD and see that it comes to pass. Jeremiah declared, “GREAT is HIS FAITHFULNESS!” God will keep His covenant promises simply because He said that He would do so, and you can take God at His word! The descendants of Sarah are the keepers of the covenant purposes and plans of God!
Romans 9:1-4
I say the truth in Christ, I lie not, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost, [2] That I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart. [3] For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh: [4] Who are Israelites; to whom pertaineth the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises;
Since the physical rebirth of the state of Israel in 1948, the word Israelite has been added to the terms used to describe Sarah’s descendants. This basically refers to any citizen of the state, whether of Jewish, Arab or Druze descent. This name however, in scripture refers to the descendants of Sarah who included Isaac, Jacob, and JUDAH – the tribe of Messiah!
When we look at these names together we wee a complete historical and PROPHETIC perspective of the Bible that centers on the history and people of ISRAEL – the descendant of Sarah and Abraham!
God’s First Priority – The People, Not Land!
There is a serious question we must ask ourselves as it pertains to the children of Abraham. It has to do with the physical blessing the Lord imparted to Abraham and his children – the land of Israel. It does not take a news junkie or bible genius to see the turmoil in the Middle East over this portion of real estate that causes the entire world to sit up and take notice every time Israel even hiccups. To be frank, Abraham’s kids are not getting along too well over the parcel of land granted Abraham in the beginning through the covenantal promises of God.
Let me make this clear; I am a staunch defender of Israel’s right to the land. The Lord did not give the Land to the Muslims or Ishmael's seed. I believe that God gave the boundaries outlined in the Abrahamic Covenant to the descendants of Sarah (the lineage of Isaac and Jacob). That is a position I have held for many years and don't plan on changing my view on that through eternity. But recently the Lord has disturbed me a bit with a heart wrenching question He laid in my lap recently (He is good about these gut-wrenching questions – just ask Jacob, Moses, Job, David and others). That question is this - What is most important to the heart of God- the land of Israel or the PEOPLE of Israel?
To some people, due to either a wrong emphasis or a flat-out misconception of God’s purposes for Israel, the answer seems to always be “the land.” There is definitely a “land covenant” with the descendants of Sarah, which is extremely important in the ways and purposes of the Holy Sprit. It is FOREVER settled in God’s heart that the “land of the heart” takes priority.
But if we’re not careful our focus on Israel’s land will literally cause the church world (especially the evangelical right) to make the land of Israel an idol! We can be so consumed with Israel’s right to possess the land that we forget that if Israel does not come to salvation through Messiah, it won’t do those possessing the land any good in eternity! I’d rather Israel not own the land and be saved, than Israel own the land and be lost! Scripture tells us BOTH will happen – Salvation and Possession of the Land – under Messiah. We must pray for both. Most of the times intercessors tend to pray only for Israel’s land without a heart for Israel’s people – the descendants of Sarah!
Asher Intrater, a Messianic scholar and Rabbi who lives in Israel, explains this correlation like this:
All of the land in Israel belongs, by divine covenant, to the Jewish people, Claims of the Islamic world of ownership of the land of Israel are a direct rebellion and challenge to the Word of God. I agree with the most radical proponents of total land possession for Israel. However, land possession is not the ONLY issue involved. When you stress one issue to the lack of others, you can make a mistake, even when what you are saying is right. There are other issues in Israel, none of which are most important than that of evangelism. Praying for the land of Israel without praying for Israel’s salvation accentuate only one aspect of God’s purposes for Israel. When evangelism is avoided, then other issues get a bigger share of the emphasis than what is due?
Neighbor, I couldn’t say it any better. We can make an IDOL out of any experience with God or even a promise He has made. The souls of millions of Jewish people hang in the balance just as the souls of billions of Muslims who have never heard the good news that Jesus Christ has come to set the captive free. Jesus Christ one day will reveal Himself once again to the descendants of Sarah. He came the first time and was rejected, but when He comes again, Israel will be at a point in her history she will have no where to turn but up. She will be crying to God with the deepest of wails and supplication as the forces of Antichrist encircle Jerusalem and stand on the brink of destroying her without remedy. I believe when that day comes and those cries come up in the ears and nostrils of God, God will remember the same promise He made to Abraham so long ago and to Isaac and to JACOB and in essence to JUDAH!!!!!!!!!!
Then, as the cries get even more pronounced and Israel cries for her Messiah, “Blessed is HE WHO COMES in the name of the Lord!” – the Eastern Skies will break forth and the Lord Jesus Christ will appear suddenly in the heavens with an army behind Him – dressed in white, armed with the WORD OF GOD as a sharp-two edged sword and the Redeemer shall COME TO ZION! Israel’s future does not depend on her possession of the land or living beside the Palestinians in a two-state solution. Israel’s future depends on her coming to know Her Messiah in a personal ONE ON ONE relationship and being SAVED!!!!!!!!!!!! ALL OF ISRAEL SHALL BE SAVED. This is one of the greatest mysteries recorded in scripture:
Romans 11:25-27
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 fullness 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.
When the Lord appears, He will show Israel the scars in His hand the marks of the crown of thorns they placed in His brow. She will ask Him, “where did you get these wounds?” He will answer, “I got these in the house of my friends,” and then she will cry out in supplication and mourning to Him and accept HIM as Her Messiah – being saved in a day, being born again and washed clean by the blood that flows from Messiah’s vein. Zechariah described this event as a fountain being opened in the HOUSE OF DAVID for cleansing and deliverance.
Neighbor, that is MORE important for Israel! It’s not to lessen the importance of the Land, God forbid. It is to magnify Israel’s need for her Messiah, just as it is to magnify OUR NEED FOR Israel’s MESSIAH today! When the Lord extended mercy to us Gentiles to be grafted into this mystery of the richness of the tree of life – the vine of the commonwealth of Israel through Messiah- He gave the church a great commission. The only way for the church to do that is to preach the gospel to the whole world – to the JEW FIRST, then the Greek. We must pray that a full number of Gentiles will come in and ALL ISRAEL shall be saved! We must pray that the Lord would come and deliver the Jewish peoples, the natural branches, and remove all ungodliness from their hearts. We must pray the Lord take away their sins and restore them (ISRAEL) to Himself for His great name’s sake.
We Will Go With You: For We have Heard That God Is With You.
Zech. 8:23 - Thus saith the Lord of hosts; In those days it shall come to pass, that ten men shall take hold out of all languages of the nations, even shall take hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew, saying, We will go with you: for we have heard that God is with you.
The Jewish people are about to come home to Jesus. As Zechariah prophesied, nations are about to take hold of the skirts of the Jewish people- Sarah's descendants and say, "We will go with you!" Through Christ and Him Crucified and HIM ONLY is this possible.The church world too is about to "HEAR" that God is with Israel again. Some believe God has forsaken His people for good. That is not true. Not even close. God's dealings with Israel are actually just beginning.
In 1882, Joseph Rabinowitz, a prominent Jewish leader in Kishniv, made a journey to Palestine (as it was called then). He was sent officially by his orthodox Jewish community, representing like-minded Jews who were determined to see if Palestine was the right place to establish a Jewish homeland. Rabinowitz visited the Mount of Olives during his brief stay. He sat on a slope near Gethsemane just as the sun was setting- and became troubled on the inside.
A passage from the Hebrew New Testament he had read 15 years earlier flashed in his mind, “So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed” (John 8:36). In that moment, he began to realize that Jesus was the King and Messiah, the only one who could save Israel. When Rabinowitz returned home, he studied the Hebrew New Testament. He did not claim to know if the land of Palestine was the hope of the Jewish people. Then, touching his chest, he would say, “This is the land, the land of the heart. It is what God wants us to obtain.” He would sometimes add, “The key to the Holy Land lies in the hands of our brother, Jesus.”
Joseph was a forerunner statesman, who, like Jeremiah of old, cried out that our hearts of stone should be changed into hearts of flesh. In our day, thousands of the Jewish descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Israel (Sarah’s kids) have placed their faith in Yeshua, the Jewish Messiah, the Savior of the World, Jesus Christ, the Son of the Living God. Worldwide Messianic movements of Hebrew-Christian congregations have sprung up all over the world as more and more Jewish people have opened their hearts and beheld their glorious Messiah. More Jewish people have come to know Messiah just within the past five years than at anytime in history since Jerusalem was destroyed in A.D. 70! Think of that. Let that statement sink in and cause us to see how late the clock reads on God’s prophetic timepiece.
The sons and daughters of Sarah are taking their rightful place in leading the processional of praise before the majesty of the one true God! We must continue to intercede for both the nation of Israel and for the Jewish people yet scattered worldwide. This is the heart of God. The PEOPLE of Israel are a PEOPLE NEAR TO HIS HEART. When we pray for the people, we pray for those close to the heart of God. That’s how I want to pray!
Isaiah 35:10
And the ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.
Isaiah 46:3-4
Hearken unto me, O house of Jacob, and all the remnant of the house of Israel, which are borne by me from the belly, which are carried from the womb: [4] And even to your old age I am he; and even to hoar hairs will I carry you: I have made, and I will bear; even I will carry, and will deliver you.
Against ALL odds, Israel will give birth at the appointed time to laughter and joy. MILLIONS are going to return to Israel, as Isaiah prayed, with SONGS, EVERLASTING JOY upon their heads, and shall obtain joy and gladness. Sorrow and sighing shall flee away. Friend, there is a great deal of this sorrow ahead for God’s chosen. That is why we must pray and pray HARD for the peace of Jerusalem!
Psalm 122:1-6
A Song of degrees of David.
I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the Lord. [2] Our feet shall stand within thy gates, O Jerusalem. [3] Jerusalem is builded as a city that is compact together: [4] Whither the tribes go up, the tribes of the Lord, unto the testimony of Israel, to give thanks unto the name of the Lord. [5] For there are set thrones of judgment, the thrones of the house of David. [6] Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee.
This journey is not over yet. Abraham had laughed at the prospect of having a child with Sarah. He was probably even more surprised when even at an older age, he fathered six additional sons through Keturah, his wife after the death of Sarah. That will be the subject of our next journal and the final in this series of three messages on the children of Abraham. May the Lord bless you today. I pray you know this risen Christ, the Messiah of Israel. It’s getting late neighbor and it’s harvest time.
The
Children of Abraham - Part Three - The Descendants of Keturah- 2/21/06
The
Children of Abraham - The Descendants of Sarah-
2/18/06
The Children Of Abraham Part One - The Descendants of
Hagar - 2/15/06
Click here for Bibliography and sources of further study on the Children of Abraham