Israelites – La Vista Church of Christ

Did Israel all speak the same language?

Jeffrey Hamilton — Tue, 03 Sep 2019 21:33:23 +0000

Question:

Was Israel of one language? Did the nation of Israel all speak the same language? Thank you.

Answer:

Israelites spoke Hebrew. After the captivity, Aramaic was spoke a good bit and portions of the Old Testament are written in Aramaic. During Jesus' day, Aramaic was the common language and Hebrew was the "religious" language, so all Jews could speak both Hebrew and Aramaic. "Spoken in ancient times in Palestine, Hebrew was supplanted by the western dialect of Aramaic beginning about the 3rd century BC; the language continued to be used as a liturgical and literary language, however." ["Hebrew Language," Encyclopedia Britannica].

"A Short History of the Hebrew Language" by Jeff A. Benner makes for a good read on this topic.

How could the law be a dividing wall if other nations could become Israelites?

Jeffrey Hamilton — Tue, 03 Sep 2019 01:04:13 +0000

Question:

Exodus 12:48-49 tells us that someone from another nation (a Gentile) could be circumcised and keep the Passover (in other words obey God) and become part of Israel (a Jew). Verse 49 says that there's one law for everyone. Jew or Gentile must obey the same law. It seems that both Jew and Gentile had the same opportunity to be saved in the Old Testament.

But in Ephesians 2:11-16, who were the Gentiles? What exactly was the wall or law that separated them from the Jews?

Thank you.

Answer:

"The LORD said to Moses and Aaron, "This is the ordinance of the Passover: no foreigner is to eat of it; but every man's slave purchased with money, after you have circumcised him, then he may eat of it. A sojourner or a hired servant shall not eat of it. It is to be eaten in a single house; you are not to bring forth any of the flesh outside of the house, nor are you to break any bone of it. All the congregation of Israel are to celebrate this. But if a stranger sojourns with you, and celebrates the Passover to the LORD, let all his males be circumcised, and then let him come near to celebrate it; and he shall be like a native of the land. But no uncircumcised person may eat of it. The same law shall apply to the native as to the stranger who sojourns among you." Then all the sons of Israel did so; they did just as the LORD had commanded Moses and Aaron" (Exodus 12:43-50).

There are several classes of people mentioned in this law:

Foreigners who are Gentiles who are not circumcised.
Slaves who are circumcised.
Visitors and hired servants who are not circumcised.
Strangers who are Gentiles who decided to be circumcised, thus becoming a part of the Israelite nation. In the New Testament, these people were referred to as proselytites.
Natives who are natural-born Israelites.

Basically this law applied to everyone. If someone wished to partake of the Passover, they had to be first circumcised, which indicated that they had placed themselves under the Covenant. Exodus 12:49 only refers to the law of eating the Passover and not the entire body of law. Therefore, if a Gentile did not wish to join the Israelite nation, he was excluded from the Passover feast.

Being an Israelite did not mean a person was saved. Not being an Israelite did not mean a person was lost. Enoch, Job, and Noah were all Gentiles and yet they were called righteous men. "For when Gentiles who do not have the Law do instinctively the things of the Law, these, not having the Law, are a law to themselves, in that they show the work of the Law written in their hearts, their conscience bearing witness and their thoughts alternately accusing or else defending them, on the day when, according to my gospel, God will judge the secrets of men through Christ Jesus" (Romans 2:14-16). Having the law, however, made it easier to know how to please God.

The law, as a whole, was given exclusively to Israel. "For what great nation is there that has a god so near to it as is the LORD our God whenever we call on Him? Or what great nation is there that has statutes and judgments as righteous as this whole law which I am setting before you today?" (Deuteronomy 4:7-8). Other nations (Gentiles) did not have the advantage of the laws the Israelites had. The only way was for individuals to choose to become a part of the Israelite nation.

"Therefore remember that formerly you, the Gentiles in the flesh, who are called "Uncircumcision" by the so-called "Circumcision," which is performed in the flesh by human hands -- remember that you were at that time separate from Christ, excluded from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall, by abolishing in His flesh the enmity, which is the Law of commandments contained in ordinances, so that in Himself He might make the two into one new man, thus establishing peace, and might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, by it having put to death the enmity. 'And He came and preached peace to you who were far away, and peace to those who were near; for through Him we both have our access in one Spirit to the Father. So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God's household" (Ephesians 2:11-19).

Under Christ's law, a person does not have to become a member of a specific nation in order to be a part of God's kingdom. You could remain in whatever nationality in which you were born. Nor was circumcision required. "Was any man called when he was already circumcised? He is not to become uncircumcised. Has anyone been called in uncircumcision? He is not to be circumcised. Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing, but what matters is the keeping of the commandments of God. Each man must remain in that condition in which he was called" (I Corinthians 7:18-20).

The Gospel of the Circumcision and the Uncircumcision

Jeffrey Hamilton — Sun, 23 Aug 2015 17:08:43 +0000

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/GospelOfTheCircumcisionAndTheUncircumcision.mp3

Text: Galatians 2:1-10

I. I suppose a casual reader could read verse 7 from our text and come away with the idea that two different messages were being taught.

A. One being taught to the Gentiles and a different message being taught to the Jews.

B. Yet the goal of the gospel was to unite Jews and Gentiles - Ephesians 2:11-18

C. Yet, we also know that the Bible teaches there is one faith - Ephesians 4:5

D. The teaching of a different gospel was condemned - Galatians 1:6

II. In order to effectively teach the gospel of Christ, different audiences will require different emphasis

A. Put yourself in the early days of the church. Where would you begin teaching about Jesus?

1. If you were teaching a Jew, it would be best to start with a common ground, say the prophesies concerning the Messiah

a. The Jews had the advantage of knowing the Laws of God - Romans 3:1-2

b. There is already a disposition to please God

c. We see Philip teaching the eunuch by starting with the prophet Isaiah - Acts 8:30-36

(1) He started with what was accepted, taught him about Jesus, and eventually discussed salvation.

d. In Peter’s sermon to Jews - Acts 2:17-36

(1) Peter started with a miracle and pointed out how this fulfilled prophecy

(2) He then discussed what most Jews knew about Jesus - the miracles that he did, proving that God was behind him.

(3) He offers testimony and prophecy to show that Jesus was resurrected

(4) He sums up by pointing out they were responsible for the death of their savior.

2. If you were teaching a Gentile, it would require a different starting point, because there is no common acceptance of the Scriptures.

a. We see this in Paul’s sermon to the Athenians - Acts 17:22-25

(1) Paul starts with the acceptance of higher beings – gods, and then moves quickly to the idea of a supreme God

(2) He then discusses how idols cannot capture the idea of such a being nor could anything made by human hands.

(3) He moved on to the need to serve this God and God’s right to judge the world’s service to him.

(4) He finally spoke of the proof God has given – the raising of the dead

(5) This was the sticking point for his audience

3. The same message is taught, but different avenues were used to present the message.

a. It required different starting points

b. It required different evidence and lines of reasoning

B. There is more to teaching than the words. We are also representatives of Christ to the world.

1. How would you live to best gain the confidence of your audience, showing that you are a reliable authority for learning about God?

2. The Jews thought they knew how to serve God.

a. A Gentile would be unable to teach a Jew.

b. Many areas of Jewish society was unreachable by a Gentile

3. When Paul took Timothy to work with him, he had him circumcised - Acts 16:1-3

a. Why? Because of the Jews in Timothy’s region.

b. Even though circumcision was of no direct profit - I Corinthians 7:18-20

c. It was necessary to reach the Jews with the Gospel - I Corinthians 9:19-20

d. Paul was not under the Law. He was not bound by its teachings, but he lived by the rules of the Law so he might reach those who lived by that Law.

4. It went the other way as well, when Paul taught the Gentiles, he followed their customs to the extent that he could - I Corinthians 9:21

a. He did not act as if there was no law at all, but where he could take on the customs of the Gentiles without violating the laws of Christ, he so did.

5. Even to new Christians, he tailored his message to benefit his audience - I Corinthians 9:22-23

a. We can see it in I Corinthians 3:1-3. The Corinthians were not ready (mature enough) to receive all that Paul wanted to teach.

b. Solid food belongs to the mature - Hebrews 5:11-14

C. Paul specialized in teaching Gentiles about Christ. Peter specialized in teaching Jews about Christ

1. Paul was appointed a preacher, apostle, and teacher of the Gentiles - I Timothy 2:7

2. His purpose was to bring obedience of faith to all Gentiles - Romans 1:5

3. It does not mean that Paul worked exclusively with the Gentiles. When he entered a new city, he generally first approach the Jews - Acts 17:1-4

4. Peter was the first to preach to the Gentiles - Acts 10

III. What it means to you and I

A. We must search for the best ways to present the Gospel to our chosen audience.

1. We do not alter the Gospel, but we do learn what is needed in our community.

2. What are the prevalent beliefs, both true and false?

a. What is the dominant denomination?

b. What is the society’s view about religion

(1) In Minnesota, a strong Catholic and Lutheran population thought that it was impolite to discuss controversial things such as politics or religion among friends.

(2) In North Carolina, it was common for neighborhood women of varying beliefs to have weekly Bible studies in someone’s home.

(3) In New York, religion was treated as a social club you belonged to. Even hints of conviction in beliefs, especially Christian beliefs, were openly opposed with great hatred in public forums, such as radio or newspapers.

3. What is needed by the people in Harlem will differ greatly from the Amish in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.

4. My grandfather was a preacher. I have looked at some of his lesson notes. The topics he had to address are often quite different than what I handle.

a. Homosexuality was not discussed in his day. I have to address it in the pulpit.

b. I have to discuss tangled family and persuade young men and women not to imitate the mistakes of their parents.

c. My grandfather’s day was more like the gospel of the circumcision. My day is more like the gospel of the uncircumcision.

B. To teach the gospel, you need some acceptance by society.

1. A flashy polyester suit among the Amish will not gain you an audience to hear the truth.

2. In many parts of New England, you are considered an outsider even after living there for five years or more.

C. One of the saddest things I saw was in the Philippines. For years preachers have traveled to this country, spending two to four weeks. Most of that time is spent hitting as many areas as possible.

1. As a result, the people know the plan of salvation inside and out.

2. But few have taught why fornication is wrong. Why bribery is wrong, Why lying is wrong.

3. They don’t understand that they should support their preachers. Money has always come from the U.S. to support their preachers. They see preachers as owning certain congregations. Few preachers preach in the town where they live.

4. Why? Because the more knowledgeable among us only visit. Few stay and learn what their society needs. Almost none learn the native language.

a. A popular topic by visiting preachers is marriage, divorce, and remarriage, such a hot topic in the U.S. that it is now known by its initials MDR.

b. What is sadly humorous is that the Filipinos are most Catholic and Muslim. Their constitution makes divorce near impossible and extremely rare.

c. What is rampant is men and women walking away from their spouses. Adultery is common, but rarely discussed.

5. I suspect the same thing happens in Africa

D. We have a rising Hispanic population throughout the U.S. How many of us are learning Spanish so we can teach?

1. When I moved to Omaha, I brushed up on ASL to be able to talk to the deaf daughter of one of our members.

2. From there I was able to study with her deaf boyfriend, who obeyed the Gospel.

IV. What is needed are preachers willing to go and learn a region’s culture, to spend time developing a stable congregation.

A. Half of a preacher’s duties is to reach the lost

B. The other half is to see that the saved remain faithful - Ephesians 4:11-13

1. First journey - Acts 14:21-22

2. Second journey - Acts 15:40-41

3. Third journey - Acts 18:22-23

C. If we are going to work among those who speak another language - learn it!

D. Live among those you are teaching to gain respectability and a knowledge of what they need to learn.

Was Abraham a Gentile or a Jew?

Jeffrey Hamilton — Thu, 17 May 2012 01:07:00 +0000

Question:

Was Abraham a Gentile or a Jew? I heard that he was first a Jew, but I also heard that He was a Gentile before and then a Jew.

Answer:

"Does this blessedness then come upon the circumcised only, or upon the uncircumcised also? For we say that faith was accounted to Abraham for righteousness. How then was it accounted? While he was circumcised, or uncircumcised? Not while circumcised, but while uncircumcised. And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had while still uncircumcised, that he might be the father of all those who believe, though they are uncircumcised, that righteousness might be imputed to them also, and the father of circumcision to those who not only are of the circumcision, but who also walk in the steps of the faith which our father Abraham had while still uncircumcised" (Romans 4:9-12).

The word "Gentiles" just means "nations." It is typically used to refer to all the nations other than the nation of Israel.

"Israelite" refers to the people who descend from Israel. The people of Israel did see Abraham as their founding father. "They answered and said to Him, "Abraham is our father." Jesus said to them, "If you were Abraham's children, you would do the works of Abraham" " (John 8:39). But this is because of the promises made to Abraham, which were passed down to Isaac, and then to Jacob who was also called Israel. However, Israel's laws were not established, however, until Moses lead the people out of Egypt. So Israel did not come to be a nation until over 600 years after Abraham.

The nation of Israel divided under Rehoboam. The northern kingdom of ten tribes remained known as Israel. The southern kingdom, essentially consisting of the tribe of Judah, was known as Judah. By the time of the captivity, the people became known as the Jews (I Kings 25:25; Ezra 4:12). Even though all the Israelites were released from captivity by the Medo-Persians, the name Jews stuck with the people and that is what we see them predominately called in Jesus' day.

Thus Abraham was not an Israelite because that came through his grandson. He definitely wasn't a Jew because that lineage came through his great-grandson. Abraham did enter into a covenant with God that eventually led to the founding of Israel, but he lived before that time. Paul's point in Romans is that Abraham was called righteous before entering the covenant; therefore, proving that people outside the covenant of circumcision could be saved.

Response:

Thank you so much for your immediate response. The information you gave was very useful and cleared all my doubts. Thank you again.

Will Jews be judged under the law or the new covenant?

Jeffrey Hamilton — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 00:40:00 +0000

Question:

Will Jews be judged under the law or the new covenant?

Answer:

There is only one covenant in effect today. "Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved" (Acts 4:12). Everyone is judged according to Jesus' teachings. "He who rejects Me, and does not receive My words, has that which judges him -- the word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day" (John 12:48).

Jews who lived under the Old Law, before Christ came and died for mankind, will be judged by that law. A Gentile living before Christ's death will be judged what he ought to have been able to understand. "For as many as have sinned without law will also perish without law, and as many as have sinned in the law will be judged by the law" (Romans 2:12).

For more details see: Can a Jew go to heaven?

What is the difference between Hebrew, Israel, Jew, Canaan, etc.?

Jeffrey Hamilton — Tue, 30 Aug 2011 02:08:00 +0000

Question:

God promised to bring the people of Israel to the promised land, and the Jews went to the promised land, but wasn't there more people in Israel than just the Jews?

Answer:

I'm having trouble with your question because I think there are some problems with definitions.

Hebrew: This was the term to refer to the descendants of Eber. Abraham is the first recorded as being called a Hebrew (Genesis 14:13). All his descendants are also technically Hebrews, though the name typically is reserved for those who are Israelites. Hebrew is also the name of the language spoken by the descendants of Abraham.
Israel: Israel was the name God gave to Jacob when he wrestled with an angel to get a blessing (Genesis 32:28). The name means "Wrestles with God."; Jacob's descendants also called themselves the children of Israel (Exodus 1:7) or just plain Israel (Exodus 4:22). When the children of Israel conquered the land of Canaan, that land was renamed Israel, though this is not common usage. Typically you see "the territory of Israel" or "the land of Israel." After King Solomon, a civil war divided the nation of Israel into two kingdoms. The northern section, containing most of the tribes, continued to be called Israel, though sometimes it was called Ephraim because its capital was in that tribe's territory. The southern section was called Judah because it was mostly composed of that tribe.
Jews: The northern kingdom was eventually destroyed by Assyria, leaving only Judah. It too was conquered, though by the Babylonians, and sometime after their return from captivity, people began calling them Jews, which is a short form of Judah.
Canaan: These are the descendants of Canaan, the son of Ham. It is actually a collection of independent tribes or city-states. The land of Canaan was the territory these city-states occupied. It was renamed Israel after the Canaanites were conquered by Israel. Since God had promised this land to Abraham, it was also known as the promised land.

Are Jews a race or a religion?

Jeffrey Hamilton — Tue, 02 Aug 2011 01:55:00 +0000

Question:

Are Jews a race or a religion?

Answer:

In the Bible, the concept of "race" does not exist. The Bible talks about nationalities, but not "race." See How did the different races come about? for more details.

The word "Jew" is a derivation of "Judah." When the kingdom of Israel divided, the ten northern tribes continued to use the name "Israel." The southern split was basically made up of Judah, and so was called the kingdom of Judah. The Assyrians wiped out the northern kingdom. The Babylonians captured the southern kingdom about 200 years later, but after a 70-year-captivity, they were allowed to return home. Thus, the name "Judah" remained and by Jesus' time, the people were called "Judeans" or "Jews" for short.

Being Jewish was both a nationality and a religious description because a person became an Israelite (Jew) by birth. At eight-days old, children became a part of the Old Testament covenant through the circumcision of boys. One could also convert to Judaism, which would make a person both a Jew in religion and a part of the nation.

During the Roman Empire, the Jews were dispersed and so while they still practiced their religion and considered themselves of the nation of Israel, they were also citizens of the countries where they resided. Thus Paul was a Jew by birth and nationality, but he was also a Roman citizen -- he held dual citizenship.

Response:

Thank you. This will help with the conversation of the person which I was having yesterday. I had a problem trying to get them to understand the differences, but this will be a big help. I am also a preacher in the Lord's Church; yes, the Church of Christ.

Why did God choose the Jews?

Jeffrey Hamilton — Tue, 19 Apr 2011 02:11:00 +0000

Question:

"Why did God choose the Jews?" is what a lady in Bible study asked me recently. My first thought was, "Why did God make the sky blue?" recognizing that the people which became the Israelites were completely made that way by the laws of God, not by themselves (the people thus an arbitrary point). I told her I would try to dig deeper and get back to her next Lord's day. Could it be something as simple as God knowing that the patriarchal laws for the Gentiles would come to a point of hopelessness and that He needed to preserve His will through a specific group He would focus on to be distinguished from the rest of the world? i.e. a seed of people in the soil of the world that would grow into the tree producing His Son? Or might there be more to social and historical considerations? Any thoughts would be most welcome.

Answer:

God answered that question several times. It all comes down to the fact that He promised Abraham and He kept that promise for His name's sake.

"Do not think in your heart, after the LORD your God has cast them out before you, saying, 'Because of my righteousness the LORD has brought me in to possess this land'; but it is because of the wickedness of these nations that the LORD is driving them out from before you. It is not because of your righteousness or the uprightness of your heart that you go in to possess their land, but because of the wickedness of these nations that the LORD your God drives them out from before you, and that He may fulfill the word which the LORD swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Therefore understand that the LORD your God is not giving you this good land to possess because of your righteousness, for you are a stiff-necked people" (Deuteronomy 9:4-6).

"Yet the house of Israel rebelled against Me in the wilderness; they did not walk in My statutes; they despised My judgments, 'which, if a man does, he shall live by them'; and they greatly defiled My Sabbaths. Then I said I would pour out My fury on them in the wilderness, to consume them. But I acted for My name's sake, that it should not be profaned before the Gentiles, in whose sight I had brought them out" (Ezekiel 20:13-14).

"Therefore say to the house of Israel, 'Thus says the Lord GOD: "I do not do this for your sake, O house of Israel, but for My holy name's sake, which you have profaned among the nations wherever you went. And I will sanctify My great name, which has been profaned among the nations, which you have profaned in their midst; and the nations shall know that I am the LORD," says the Lord GOD, "when I am hallowed in you before their eyes"'" (Ezekiel 36:22-23).

The same can be said about Christians.

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He has made us accepted in the Beloved. In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace which He made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence, having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself, that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth--in Him. In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will, that we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His glory. In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory" (Ephesians 1:3-14).

"Now I say that Jesus Christ has become a servant to the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made to the fathers, and that the Gentiles might glorify God for His mercy, as it is written: "For this reason I will confess to You among the Gentiles, and sing to Your name." And again he says: "Rejoice, O Gentiles, with His people!" And again: "Praise the LORD, all you Gentiles! Laud Him, all you peoples!"" (Romans 15:8-11).

"Why did God choose the Israelites as His people?" also speaks about this topic.

Did an Israelite have to be born again under the Old Law?

Jeffrey Hamilton — Fri, 07 Jan 2011 03:27:00 +0000

Question:

I have two questions:

Did the Old Testament believers' experience being "born again" or "regeneration" as experienced with the New Testament believers through Jesus Christ?
Are born again believers still considered to be "sinners" or "saints" and why?

Answer:

There are several passages that use the allegory of birth to explain the change that occurs to a person who follows Christ. Jesus stated, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God" (John 3:3). Here then is our first clue. Seeing the kingdom of God is dependent on being born again. A bit later, Jesus makes the statement more firm when he said, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God" (John 3:5). Now we know what constitutes being born again: being born of water and the Spirit. We also know that you must be born again to enter the kingdom of God.

This leads to a side question: What is the kingdom of God? The writer of Hebrews tells Christians, "Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear" (Hebrews 12:28). Reading backward, we find from the context that this kingdom is another name for the church. "But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are registered in heaven, to God the Judge of all, to the spirits of just men made perfect" (Hebrews 12:22-23). This imagery of the church is one where Christ reigns as king and Christians live as citizens. "Giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light. He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins" (Colossians 1:12-14).

Just as Israel was God's people and to be a part of that nation one had to be physically born into it, so too is the church seen as God's people under the new covenant. "But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy" (I Peter 2:9-10). Like the Israelite, a Christian must be born a citizen, but instead of physical birth, a Christian must be born spiritually.

To be an Israelite, one merely was born to Israelite parents. What it means to be an Israelite was then taught to the child as he grew up. To be a Christian, one must be born a second time, this time spiritually. He is taught what is needed to be a Christian before he makes the commitment. "No more shall every man teach his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, 'Know the LORD,' for they all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them, says the LORD. For I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more" (Jeremiah 31:34). Therefore, no, the Israelites did not have to be born again to be under the law of Moses.

For your second question, see: You Must Be Born Again. To be "born again" is to be saved from your sins.

How can one become a Jew?

Jeffrey Hamilton — Sun, 04 Jul 2010 01:47:00 +0000

Question:

In Esther 8:17, how can one become a Jew?

Answer:

"And in every province and city, wherever the king's command and decree came, the Jews had joy and gladness, a feast and a holiday. Then many of the people of the land became Jews, because fear of the Jews fell upon them" (Esther 8:17).

The most common way was to be born to an Israelite, and if you were male, to be circumcised.

But God did not limit His people to just those descended from Jacob. "Thus says the LORD of hosts: 'Peoples shall yet come, Inhabitants of many cities; The inhabitants of one city shall go to another, saying, "Let us continue to go and pray before the LORD, And seek the LORD of hosts. I myself will go also." Yes, many peoples and strong nations Shall come to seek the LORD of hosts in Jerusalem, And to pray before the LORD.' Thus says the LORD of hosts: 'In those days ten men from every language of the nations shall grasp the sleeve of a Jewish man, saying, "Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you."'" (Zechariah 8:20-23).

Even at the beginning, Abraham was instructed to bring under the covenant those in his household who were slaves. "He who is eight days old among you shall be circumcised, every male child in your generations, he who is born in your house or bought with money from any foreigner who is not your descendant. He who is born in your house and he who is bought with your money must be circumcised, and My covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant" (Genesis 17:12-13). This law is reflected in the Law of Moses: "And when a stranger dwells with you and wants to keep the Passover to the LORD, let all his males be circumcised, and then let him come near and keep it; and he shall be as a native of the land. For no uncircumcised person shall eat it" (Exodus 12:48).

Other mentions of converts are in Isaiah 56:3 and Nehemiah 10:28

In the New Testament, there is mention of Jewish proselytes (converts) (Matthew 23:15; Acts 2:10; 13:43).

Ruth is probably the most famous of the Gentiles who became an Israelite. "But Ruth said: 'Entreat me not to leave you, Or to turn back from following after you; For wherever you go, I will go; And wherever you lodge, I will lodge; Your people shall be my people, And your God, my God. Where you die, I will die, And there will I be buried. The LORD do so to me, and more also, If anything but death parts you and me'" (Ruth 1:16-17). Basically it requires the person to take on the Mosaical covenant and follow all aspects of it, just as any Israelite was expected to do.