Independence Day Number 245
In Acts 17:26, Paul elucidates on the fact that “God hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation”. We are here because God has preordained that we should inhabit this land at this time and in this season. It is a blessing to have been born and raised here. Could not the Almighty, in His discretion, have placed us in a third world country? Yes, and our lots would be very different. Yet He chose to place us here in a land of prosperity and freedom. Even to this day as we see the storm clouds roll in, we still have freedoms uncountable. How is it that we have ended up here, what mechanism did our Sovereign use to sow us here in this land? The answer to this question will foster deeper appreciation for His Kingdom work and will for our lives.
Here at LevY’shua we recognize that the United Kingdom of Israel, spoken of in scripture, was divided in two by Yahweh because of King Solomon’s unfaithful heart. The split created two separate kingdoms; Israel (oftentimes referred to as Ephraim or northern kingdom) and the southern kingdom of Judah.
When rebellion occurred (1 Kings 12) The northern kingdom, under the rulership of Jeroboam, did so with these prophetic words: “What portion have we in David? Neither have we inheritance in the son of Jesse: to your tents, O Israel: now see to thine own house, David. So Israel departed unto their tents”. And the commentary in verse 19 says “So Israel has been in rebellion against the House of David to this day”. In a moment we will trace the migration patterns of the northern kingdom and will discover the probability that many who profess Jesus as Savior may in fact have roots in the northern kingdom of Israel. This has great implications for us here in America today. Consider this, if the house of Israel has been in rebellion with the House of David to possibly even this day, and if the northern kingdom is made up primarily of mainline Protestantism, then is it any wonder than that replacement theology is strongly held to in protestant circles? The rebellion continues.
Unlike our civil war in which Abraham Lincoln went to war against the Confederate States to preserve the union, King Rehoboam, Solomon’s son and heir, King of Judah was restricted from doing so by the Almighty. Thus, we have the commencement of the period of the divided kingdom. Israel to the north and Judah to the south.
The southern kingdom throughout its existence vacillated between righteous and unrighteous kings. On the other hand, the northern kingdom never had a righteous king. King Jeroboam re-introduced pagan worship to the Israelites setting up golden calves in Dan and Beth-El. He changed the calendar resetting the feast cycle and appointed non-Levitical priests. What was Almighty’s response? He did what He said He would do and scattered His people from His land.
Now, He who scatters, knows where to He has scattered and have no doubt that He who scatters Israel will re-gather His people at the appointed time.
It is this scattering that links America to Israel and what we are focusing on today.
The Northern Kingdom was taken into captivity by the Assyrians and no longer existed by 722 BC. Judah on the other hand, was exiled from the land over one hundred years later in roughly 605 BC. Two separate kingdoms, two separate captivities two separate testimonies confirming the one true God of Israel. He does all things well and upon the testimony of these two witnesses, He has established His Kingdom truths: salvation by grace alone and relationship through adherence to His right rulings and observance of His set apart festivals.
Sages have noted that Ephraim loved the nations so much that he became as the gentiles. Yet in the later days he will recover his identity. In his book Ephraim, Yair Davidiy traces the migration of the “lost ten tribes” by studying cultures that exhibit the blessing of the Almighty as professed over the 12 sons of Israel.
Blessings: Economic and physical blessings as predicted in the Bible.
Scripture: Indications of scriptural predictions as to where the tribes would go and the type of religion and governments they would have.
Groundwork: Historical, archaeological, and related proofs showing paths of migration.
Judah: Feelings of kinship and sympathy for the Jews along with a relative lack of anti-Semitism comparatively speaking.
Originality: Innovation and intellect
Bravery: Military prowess
Empathy: Social justice
We fit the mold!
In another of his books, Joseph, The Israelite destiny of America, Davidiy points out that so many of our tendencies indicate a strong likeness to the tribe of Manasseh. He also sees Great Britain as offspring of Manasseh’s brother Ephraim. Intriguing. Regardless, it seems the United States has been endowed by our Creator in a supernatural manner and it indeed appears to be linked to our descendants springing from the bosom of Israel.
Case in point from our pre-founding if you will:
John Winthrop sailed aboard the ship Arbella, in 1630 as the great Puritan migration from England to Massachusetts got underway. Arbella was the flagship of the Winthrop Fleet on which Governor John Winthrop, other members of the Company, and Puritan emigrants transported themselves and the Charter of the Massachusetts Bay Company from England to Salem between April 8 and June 12, 1630, thereby giving legal birth to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
As noted on the website Landmark Events.org, Winthrop hailed from the most Puritan area of England. The Protestant Reformation had not only taken root in the Stour Valley but had persevered through times of persecution and compromise. His father, uncles, and grandfather all held tight to the Reformed faith and envisioned the triumph of Christ’s Kingdom, beginning in England itself. John Winthrop embraced the faith of his Fathers whole-heartedly. When Charles I turned against continued reform, suspended Parliament and seemed to abandon biblical justice, a network of pastors who have been known as “the spiritual brotherhood”, decided to emigrate, with willing members of their congregations, to New England. A number of wealthy investors created the Massachusetts Bay Joint-Stock Company to finance the emigration and they received a charter to do so from King Charles I. A fleet of eleven ships and seven hundred passengers set out to establish a Puritan colony, led by John Winthrop, well-to-do lawyer and CFO of his father’s estate, and newly elected Governor of the future colony.
Aboard the Arbella, Winthrop addressed the immigrants giving a sermon entitled “A Model of Christian Charity.” Jonathan Cahn, in his book, The Harbinger II, intoned that if George Washington could be called the father of our nation, Winthrop could be called the grandfather of the nation, for he gave a vision of what the new commonwealth was to be and become. He emphatically stated:
“For we must consider that we shall be as a city upon a hill. The eyes of all people are upon us.”
Our nation at its core founding was proclaimed to be a city on a hill, an exemplary example among the nations. One called to give light to the world. A covenant nation of sorts as he stated, “Thus stands the cause between God and us. We are entered into covenant with Him for His work.”
In a sense he prophesied over this land with the following words: “The Lord will be our God, and delight to dwell among us, as His own people, and will command a blessing upon us in all our ways, so that we shall see much more of His wisdom, power, goodness, and truth. We shall find that the God of Israel is among us, when ten of us shall be able to resist a thousand of our enemies”.
And so, we know the history, as a nation we were blessed and became the most powerful, prosperous, exalted nation on earth.
But! Winthrop did not stop there, he continued his prophetic utterance unequivocally pointing out “that if we shall deal falsely with our God in this work we have undertaken and so cause Him to withdraw His present help from us, we shall be made a story and a by-word through the world…if our hearts shall turn away, so that we will not obey, but shall be seduced, and worship other Gods, our pleasure and profits and serve them; it is propounded (submitted) unto us this day, we shall surely perish out of the good land whither we pass over this vast sea to possess it. Therefore, let us choose life, that we and our seed may live, by obeying His voice and cleaving to Him, for He is our life and our prosperity.” (Wikipedia)
In Washington’s inaugural address he stated that the blessings of God could never remain on a nation that disregards the eternal rules of order and right which Heaven itself has ordained. (Harbinger, pg 234)
What does all this mean as we see the Day of Lord approaching?
One, we must be ever increasingly more grateful to the Almighty for His love and provision to us through Messiah Y’shua.
Two, we must be ever ready with a word to proclaim the goodness of our Great Elohim even though it appears His word is out of season in this day.
Three we are commanded to seek the welfare of the city to where we have been sent into exile, and to pray to Yahweh on its behalf; for in its welfare, we will have welfare. The word welfare in Hebrew is Shalom! Which can also be translated prosperity. (Jer 29:7)
Therefore, with grateful hearts, let us lift praises and implore our great Elohim on behalf of this land to which He scattered us, proclaiming His goodness in the midst of a perverse and evil generation, while we await the re-gathering of the Israel by our Awesome King!