West Identity

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0 height="100%"><tr> <td valign="top" width=200 BGCOLOR="#003399" TEXT="#080000" background="040c8c00erkjxk.jpg"> <div> <B><U>Hal West</U></B></div> <div> <B>is a member of Restoration Ministries and works at JMax Sales in Palisade, Colorado.  His wife is Lynn and they have two grown sons, Anthony and Matthew.</B></div> </td> <td valign="top" BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <FONT SIZE="7" COLOR="#000099" FACE="Brush Script MT" ><B>Restoration Ministries</B></FONT>  |     <A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Restoration Ministries"><U>home</U></A></div> <div>                                                   </div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <IMG SRC="159f8900.jpg" border=0 width="504" height="144" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> <B>Or: "A Tale of Two Identities"</B></div> <div> <B>by Hal West</B></div> <div> <B>_________________________________________________</B></div> <bR> <div> This is a brief story about a man that has two identities, or should I say a people that have two identities, or would it be better to say a people that actually have one real identity and one false identity.  Who is this man?   Or who are these people?  </div> <bR> <div> <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >If a person goes back to early Biblical times in Genesis he will read about a  man named Abraham.  This man is well known for being the Father of not only the nation of Israel, but also the father of all of the Arab tribes that ever existed.  In Genesis 17:5-6 he was given a promise, </FONT><B>"</B><B>No longer will you be called Abram; your name will be Abraham, for I have made you a father of many nations.  I will make you very fruitful; I will make nations of you, and kings will come from you."</B></div> <bR> <div> We are told that this Abraham had two sons.  One was from a concubine named Hagar.  His name was Ishmael and he was conceived out of an act of desperation and lack of faith.  The story goes that Abraham was 86 years old and had no sons, yet God had made the above promise to him.  So Abraham thought he would help God out and went in with his concubine and conceived his first son.  He named him Ishmael or "God will hear."  </div> <bR> <div> <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >Although this was not the son of the promise of Genesis 17:5-6 he did become the father of many nations. </FONT><B>"</B><B>As for Ishmael, I have heard you; behold, I will bless him, and will make him fruitful and will multiply him exceedingly. He shall become the father of twelve princes, and I will make him a great nation</B><B>,"</B><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" > Genesis 17:20.  </FONT></div> <div>  </div> <div> <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >The other son of Abraham and Sarah of course was Isaac to whom it is said, </FONT><B>"</B><B>But My  covenant I will establish with Isaac, whom Sarah will bear to you at this season next year</B><B>,</B><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >" Genesis 17:21.</FONT></div> <bR> <div> <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >Looking at the history  of the middle east in light of these scripture passages one could easily  conclude that the Arab states of today are descended from Ishmael and the State of Israel today is descended from Isaac.  So when prominent theologians say that the United States must support Israel in all that she does in light of Genesis 12:3 </FONT><B>"</B><B>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</B><B>,"</B><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" > they would say that they are referring to the children of the promise to Abraham and Isaac and if we do not support Israel then we will be accursed.</FONT></div> <bR> <div> But there is more to this story than the simple narrative of the Old Testament.</div> <bR> <div> The apostle Paul talks about the Old Testament system (or Old Covenant) as being a shadow or type of the realities of the New Covenant.  Note these passages of Scripture --</div> <bR> <div> <B>"</B><B>Therefore no one is to act as your judge in regard to food or drink or in respect to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath day- things which are </B><B><U>a mere shadow</U></B><B> of what is to come; but </B><B><U>the substance belongs to Christ</U></B><B>."</B><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >  Colossians 2:16-17</FONT></div> <bR> <div> <B>"</B><B>Now of the things which we have spoken this is the sum: We have such an high priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens; A minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man.  For every high priest is ordained to offer gifts and sacrifices: wherefore it is of necessity that this man have somewhat also to offer.  For if he were on earth, he should not be a priest, seeing that there are priests that offer gifts according to the law:  Who serve unto </B><B><U>the example and shadow of heavenly things</U></B><B>, as Moses was admonished of God when he was about to make the tabernacle: for, See, saith he, that thou make all things according to </B><B><U>the pattern shewed to thee in the mount</U></B><B>."</B><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >  Hebrews 8:1-5</FONT></div> <bR> <div> Hebrews plainly states that the entire law was merely a shadow of the reality of Christ and His New Covenant Kingdom, </div> <bR> <div> <B>"</B><B><U>The law is only a shadow of  the good things that are coming</U></B><B>- not the realities themselves. For this reason it can never, by the same sacrifices repeated endlessly year after year, make perfect those who draw near to worship.  If it could, would they not have stopped being offered? For the worshipers would have been cleansed once for all, and would no longer have felt guilty for their sins.  But those sacrifices are an annual reminder of sins, because it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.  Therefore, when Christ came into the world, he said:  "Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but a body you prepared for me;  with burnt offerings and sin offerings you were not pleased.  Then I said, `Here I am- it is written about me in the scroll- I have come to do your will, O God."</B><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" ><I>  </I>Hebrews 10:1</FONT></div> <bR> <div> So we come to the reality in the New Testament of the story of Isaac and Ishmael of the Old.  Read very carefully lest you fail to understand.</div> <bR> <div> <B>"</B><B>For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the slave woman and the other by the free woman"</B><B> </B><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >  Galatians 4:22  </FONT></div> <bR> <div> Here is the beginning of Paul's picture.  In Verse 24 Paul says that these two sons serve as an allegory.  </div> <bR> <div> Smith's Bible Dictionary recognizes and allegory as "a figure of speech which has been defined by Bishop Marsh, in accordance with its etymology, as "<B>a representation of one thing which is intended to excite the representation of another thing</B>;" the first representation being consistent with itself, but requiring, or being capable of admitting, a moral and <B>spiritual interpretation over and above its literal sense</B>."  </div> <bR> <div> The Eastern writers of the Old and New Testament used allegorical or figurative language quite often.  Paul explains the allegory in the verses that follow verse 22.  </div> <bR> <div> <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >In verse 23 it says that Ishmael was </FONT><B>"</B><B>born after the flesh</B><B>"</B><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" > and Isaac was born </FONT><B>"</B><B>by promise</B><B>"</B><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" > and they represent <B>the two</B> covenants.   I emphasize the two covenants lest someone thinks there be more than two.  So what are the two?  It says one is from Mount Sinai which is of bondage and is Hagar, the mother of Ishmael.  </FONT></div> <bR> <div> <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >Interestingly it then says that </FONT><B>"</B><B>Hagar stands for Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to the present city of Jerusalem, because she is in slavery with her children</B><B>,"</B><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" > verse 25.  That was the Jerusalem of Jesus' time which was actually representative of the entire Jewish nation or actually her religious system. Interestingly that nation was in bondage to its religious system and that system was the law established by Moses on Mount Sinai!!</FONT></div> <bR> <div> <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >What is the other covenant then than that of the heavenly or New Jerusalem spoken of throughout scripture and especially established in the book of Revelation.  Paul speaking to the church says </FONT><B>"</B><B>she is our mother</B><B>,"</B><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" > verse 26 (NASB).  Verse 27 is a quote from Isaiah 54:1 and is a promise that the Gentiles will partake of the promises of the heavenly Jerusalem.  And then he tells the church at Galatia that they are like Isaac, not Ishmael and are children of the promise.  Hallellujah!  The good news in not just for the Jews.  </FONT></div> <bR> <div> But then Paul does an interesting thing.  Read carefully.  He says that he who was born according to the flesh would persecute he who was born according to the spirit.  In much of the New Testament who was persecuting the church?  Was it the Romans?  No, not until the end when Nero blamed the Christians for the fires of Rome.  Was it the unbelieving Jews.  Absolutely.  They rejected the Messiah and killed him, they persecuted Paul and tried over and over to kill him.  And they tried to destroy the entire church.  Read about it in the Gospels, in Acts, in the letters of Paul and John, and especially once again in Revelation.  </div> <bR> <div> <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >Just remember that in Revelation  11:8 Babylon is identified as the city in which Jesus was crucified.  In Revelation 16:6; 17:1-6; 18:20, 24, we are told that Babylon the great was drunk with the blood of the prophets.  In Matthew 23:32-36 Jesus said that Jerusalem was guilty of </FONT><B>"</B><B>all the blood shed on earth</B><B>."</B><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >   Then he said that Jerusalem was about to be judged for killing the prophets, </FONT><B>"Truly I say to you, all these things will come upon this generation."</B><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >  </FONT></div> <bR> <div> The people of Jerusalem of that day or of that generation were going to suffer the soon coming judgment.  They were Babylon the great city of Revelation.  What the church 150 years ago understood but has today forgotten is that this judgment did take place as the Roman armies surrounded Jerusalem in A.D. 67 and for three and a half years watched the Jews destroy themselves in the city of Jerusalem.  Because of their pride and stubbornness and idolatry their temple was destroyed along with the whole legal sacrificial system of the Old Covenant never to be revived again.  True Judiasm as seen in scripture was utterly destroyed.</div> <bR> <div> <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >Getting back to Galatians 4: 30 the call is to </FONT><B>"Cast out the bondwoman and her son, for the son of the bondwoman shall not be an heir with the son of the freewoman."</B><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >  So if Jerusalem was identified with Hagar, then the Jews were the sons of the bondwoman who were to be cast out.  Jesus accomplished this in A.D. 70 just like he promised.  Read all about it in the writings of Josephus.  And as Paul says to the church in Galatians 4:31 </FONT><B>"</B><B>So then, brethren, we are not children of a bondwoman, but of the free woman</B><B>."</B></div> <bR> <div>      Folks, "the son of the freewoman" is the church that is identified with the promise given to Abraham through Isaac.  It is the Jews that are identified with Hagar through Ishmael, not the Arabs.  And we need to be about our Savior's business which is to love our enemies, Matt. 5:44.  </div> <bR> <div> <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >John said in 1 John 4:20-21 </FONT><B>"</B><B>If someone says, "'I love God,'" and hates his brother, he is a liar; for the one who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen.   And this commandment we have from Him, that the one who loves God should love his brother also</B><B>." </B><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" > A careful reading will reveal that the brother about whom John was speaking was their Jewish brothers who were at that time persecuting the church.</FONT></div> <bR> <div> It is a truth that a Christian should love all people whether enemies or friends.  It is also a truth that today most Christians hate the Arabs and love the "Jews."  We should love them all as the only way that any of them will come to salvation is through the finished work of Jesus Christ.  Just remember that there are true Christian brothers in both groups.</div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id212.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="West Ishmael 2"><U>A reader asks a question and Hal responds.</U></A></div> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>