HHMI - Paul's Life and Letters ~ Pt 11 ~ Who are the exiles of Israel?

What we are going to see that Paul saw himself as an ambassador to go out into the nations to share of the redemptive work of Messiah Yeshua. He focused on reaching the non-Jews of the Northern kingdom (called the House of Joseph or Ephraim) to share Messiah with them and to bring them back to the written Torah of Yeshua. Because the Northern kingdom had been assimilated into the non Jewish culture for 700 years, it required that Paul bring the gospel to all peoples, nations, tribes and tongues. Who are the exiles of Israel? We look at the biblical definition of this term from Daniel 9:7: O Lord, righteousness belongs unto you, but unto us confusion of faces, as at this day; to the men of Judah, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and unto all Israel, that are near, and that are far off, through all the countries whither thou hast driven them, because of their trespass that they have trespassed against you. “Near” is a reference to the Southern kingdom or Judah. “Far” is a reference to the Northern kingdom or Ephraim. Both of these kingdoms were driven out into exile. These same terms are used by Paul in Ephesians 2: 12-14: That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world: But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were “far off” are made “near” by the blood of Christ. For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us… Because those who were “far off” (the Northern kingdom) broke the covenant, and didn’t follow the Torah, they are now being “grafted back in” to the Commonwealth of Israel through the blood of the Messiah. Messiah’s shed blood not only brought reconciliation between man to God, but it also brings reconciliation between Northern and Southern kingdom, making the two into one: And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby: And came and preached peace to you which were afar off (Northern Kingdom), and to them that were near (Southern Kingdom). For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father. Ephesians 2:16-18 For more of Eddie Chumney teachings and to listen to beautiful Messianic worship music, visit us at our internet streaming radio station, http://www.hebrootsradio.com/. Please visit our home page at: http://hebroots.org/