@jeremiah1five
Have you not read ….
Genesis 18:17-18 (NKJV) 17 And the LORD said, “Shall I hide from Abraham what I am doing, 18 “since Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him?
Consider. During these latter days, the
scattered House of Israel is probably the target audience for the book of Hebrews—yes, that includes many of us—Christians—all over the earth.
Listen up. Knowing where the so-called 10 lost tribes of the House of Israel are is necessary for maturing in one's understanding of God's Word.
s e l a h
I've read it. And I see the other passages that say the same thing elsewhere.
Let's take each passage as written and I will show you a better way.
2 And I will make of thee a great
nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: 3 And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed. Genesis 12:1–3.
Here, God promises Abram to make him a great
nation. The word "nation" is defined by Strong as:
nation: [#1471] gôy rarely (shortened) goy, go’-ee; apparently from the same root as [#1465] (gevah) (in the sense of
massing); a foreign
nation; [citation deleted] also (figurative) a
troop of animals, or a
flight of locusts
The citation deleted is written as: "hence a Gentile;"
This is irrelevant for this cite "leads the witness" to define the word a certain way especially since it contradicts a passage in which Abram is identified as "Hebrew" and one born in the family line of Eber (Genesis 11.) So, the word "
nation" does not mean "
Gentile" here and at the time Abram was alive for God identifies Abram as being from the family of
Eber described in Genesis 11.
A Hebrew is not Gentile in the way it is defined today as being "Gentile." Hebrews are not "Gentile" or "non-Hebrew." That makes no sense. So, the word is defined merely as "massing" in the sense of [great] number.
Additionally, this passage states God says he [Abram] will be a blessing; however, God does not describe what those blessings are.
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6 And Abram passed through the land unto the place of Sichem, unto the plain of Moreh.
And the Canaanite was then in the land.
7
And the LORD appeared unto Abram, and said, Unto thy seed will I give this land: and there builded he an altar unto the LORD, who appeared unto him.
8 And he removed from thence unto a mountain on the east of Beth-el, and pitched his tent, having Beth-el on the west, and Hai on the east: and there he builded an altar unto the LORD, and
called upon the name of the LORD. Genesis 12:5–8.
As Abram journeys to the Promised Land Abram sees that there are Canaanites in the land. Upon this the LORD says to Abram, "
Unto thy seed will I give this land." Hearing this, Abram builds an altar and "called upon the LORD." This is significant because by the time we get to the first century AD these words "call upon the LORD" means something entirely different than what it meant originally in Abram's day - even during Seth's time (Genesis 5.) The term means "Worship." In the New Testament students of the Bible interpret the term to mean that [a] person calls out to the LORD such as when a mother calls out the back door for her son to come inside. Many interpret this term in this way in Acts where it says, "those that call [out] to the Lord shall be saved." The term should be understood in its original form which it means "Worship" and according to Psalm 65:4, David calls upon the Lord and ONLY THOSE who are in relationship with God can do because it is God who allows a person to approach Him and worship God. NO MAN can worship God unless he/she is already in relationship with God.
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4 Unto the place of the altar, which he had made there at the first: and there Abram called on the name of the LORD.
Genesis 13:4.
As above Abram is already in relationship with God and here he "worships" God after building an altar.
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13 And there came one that had escaped, and told
Abram the Hebrew; for he dwelt in the plain of Mamre the Amorite, brother of Eshcol, and brother of Aner: and these were confederate with Abram. Genesis 14:13.
God, who wrote the Scripture identifies Abram as "Hebrew" which means he is a descendant of Eber (Gen. 11.) Therefore, the words in which God says He will make Abram a great nation means in relation to being great in number (descendants) or [Strong} "massing." It is impossible for it to mean "Gentile" at this time in Abram's day for God identifies Abram as Hebrew and Hebrew does not mean "Gentile" at this time in the narrative and historically.
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3 And Abram said, Behold, to me thou hast given no seed: and, lo, one born in my house is mine heir.
4 And, behold, the word of the LORD came unto him, saying, This shall not be thine heir;
but he that shall come forth out of thine own bowels shall be thine heir.
5
And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be. Genesis 15:3–5.
God tells Abram that his heir will be someone born of Abram's body/seed. Besides this, God tells Abram that through this seed Abram's descendants will be great in number such as is great in number of stars that are in the heavens. He means innumerable.
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12 And when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and, lo, an horror of great darkness fell upon him.
13 And he said unto Abram, Know of a surety that
thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years;
14 And also
that nation, whom they shall serve, will I judge: and afterward shall they come out with great substance. 15 And thou shalt go to thy fathers in peace; thou shalt be buried in a good old age. Genesis 15:11–15.
Here, God prophesy's that Abram's seed shall go live in a nation and in a land that is not his, not the land Promised by God. God also tells Abram that when his seed do this that the host nation - whom we know now as Egypt - will afflict them 400 years. Afterwards, God says He will judge that nation ("massing") and as a result Abram's seed will leave that nation with great substance. God also tells Abram he will live a long life and die in peace.
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18 In
the same day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates:
19 The Kenites, and the Kenizzites, and the Kadmonites,
20 And the Hittites, and the Perizzites, and the Rephaims,
21 And the Amorites, and the Canaanites, and the Girgashites, and the Jebusites. Genesis 15:18–21.
God lays out the boundaries of the land He Promises Abram.
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3 And
Sarai Abram’s wife took Hagar her maid the Egyptian, after Abram had dwelt ten years in the land of Canaan, and gave her to her husband Abram to be his wife.
4
And he went in unto Hagar, and she conceived: Genesis 16:3–4.
Sarai gives Abram her servant and Abram gets her pregnant. This is Sarai's and Abram's attempt to self-fulfill the prophecy of an heir God promised to Abram earlier. This act actually does fulfill the promise that through Abram many "nations" ("massing's") of people will be born to him through this son born to Abram and Hagar. This child named "Ishmael" will be the father of twelve sons who in the process of time give birth to Ishmael and become great in number also interpreted as "nations" (massing.)
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6 But Abram said unto Sarai, Behold, thy maid is in thy hand; do to her as it pleaseth thee. And when Sarai dealt hardly with her, she fled from her face.
7 And the angel of the LORD found her by a fountain of water in the wilderness, by the fountain in the way to Shur.
8 And he said, Hagar, Sarai’s maid, whence camest thou? and whither wilt thou go? And she said, I flee from the face of my mistress Sarai.
9 And the angel of the LORD said unto her, Return to thy mistress, and submit thyself under her hands.
10
And the angel of the LORD said unto her, I will multiply thy seed exceedingly, that it shall not be numbered for multitude.
11 And the angel of the LORD said unto her, Behold, thou art with child, and shalt bear a son, and shalt call his name Ishmael; because the LORD hath heard thy affliction.
12 And he will be a wild man; his hand will be against every man, and every man’s hand against him; and he shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren.
13 And she called the name of the LORD that spake unto her, Thou God seest me: for she said, Have I also here looked after him that seeth me?
14 Wherefore the well was called Beer-lahai-roi; behold, it is between Kadesh and Bered.
15
And Hagar bare Abram a son: and Abram called his son’s name, which Hagar bare, Ishmael.
Genesis 16:6–15.
"All the families of the earth" begin to take shape in Ishmael as his seed begin to be born which in time will become "great nations" of people born to Ishmael. Verse six describes this thing to come.
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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.
2
And I will make my covenant between me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly. Genesis 17:1–2.
God makes a covenant between Himself, Abram, and Abram's seed. God tells Abram He will multiply his seed exceedingly. "Nations" here still refer to great in number (massing.)
4
As for me, behold, my covenant is with thee, and thou shalt be a father of many nations. Genesis 17:4.
Again, God repeats His promise of covenant with Abram and with Abram's seed (through Ishmael, Isaac - yet to be born - and later after Sarah dies Abram remarries and has more children with the new wife. The promise that "all HIS families born in the earth shall be blessed," or "great in number" is soon to take place. Abram can only be a father of many Hebrews which is termed "nations" (massing's.) It is impossible for the word "nations" to mean Gentile because it is impossible for two Hebrew parents to give birth to a non-Hebrew child.
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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.
8
And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.
9 And God said unto Abraham, Thou shalt keep my covenant therefore, thou, and thy seed after thee in their generations.
10
This is my covenant, which ye shall keep, between me and you and thy seed after thee; Every man child among you shall be circumcised. Genesis 17:5–10.
The Hebrew covenant begins to take shape. God promises Abraham will be exceeding fruitful and that kings and nations shall come OUT OF THEE. God commands that every man child among Abraham shall be circumcised. This does not mean anyone circumcised are in covenant with God but ONLY Abraham and Abraham's seed. The birth of Isaac is to be heir of Abraham after he dies and is buried, and heir of the promises God gave to Abram. This is a covenant of DNA. Only those who are a descendant of Abram are identified by God as being "in covenant" with God.
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13 He that is born in thy house, and he that is bought with thy money, must needs be circumcised: and
my covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant. Genesis 17:13.
God again identifies that only descendants born of Abraham (in your flesh) are in covenant and heirs to Abraham.
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15 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. Genesis 17:15–16.
Only those children and descendants born OF HER are identified as "nations/massing's" of people that share her and Abraham's DNA are in covenant with God. Notice that "nations" (massing's) and "kings" shall be born OF HER are the people that are in covenant with God and through Abraham and Sarah it is their "families of the earth" that are identified by God as being in covenant with God and heirs of the promises.
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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.
20 And
as for Ishmael, I have heard thee:
Behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly; twelve princes shall he beget, and I will make him a great nation.
21
But my covenant will I establish with Isaac, which Sarah shall bear unto thee at this set time in the next year.
Genesis 17:19–21.
God declares that the covenant He made with Abraham will also include a covenant between God and Isaac and through Isaac God will multiply his seed exceedingly and this covenant will be everlasting. Ishmael, who is seed of Abraham through Hagar, will become a people so great they will be innumerable just as promised by God that Abraham's descendants/seed are as innumerable as the stars in the heavens. Ishmael will birth twelve princes, and God will make him a great nation. However, the descendants of Ishmael will be mixed race but still be descendants of Abraham by birth since Ishmael is a son of Abraham. Add Esau, and many nations and "families of the earth" is established by God. They are ALL Abraham's seeds. The "nations" and "kings" that are born to Abraham through Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob, Ishmael's twelve sons, Jacob's twelve sons, Esau's children and descendants, and other children born to Abraham with his new wife after Sarah dies are slated to become great nations of people and all related to Abraham as God said in which they are all his seed through many fathers yet to be born. While all these people are the blessed because of being Abraham's seed, God declares that His covenant will be established with Isaac and with Isaac's seed. They are ALL the seed of Abraham through many, many, and innumerable births of and through Abraham.
The everlasting covenant is with Abraham and Abraham's seed through Isaac. But everyone who is of Abraham's seed will also be blessed by virtue of the covenant God makes with Abram the Hebrew and with Abram's Hebrew seed.
The above is rightly divided.