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THE LOST SHEEP OF THE HOUSE OF ISRAELBY REV. JAMES G. MATTHEWS SERMON FOR OCT. 15, 2000 PERHAPS ONE OF the most challenging Bible studies is that of the identity of the "Lost sheep of the house of Israel" in the Master's day the question, "Who were 'the lost sheep of the house of Israel'?" usually brings the answers, "the Jews," or "the unsaved," neither of which satisfies the truth seeker. One answer is contrary to the Master's own statement regarding the Jews, and the other is an attempt to spiritualize the phrase, "the lost sheep of the house of Israel." Without becoming too deeply involved in Israel history, let us consider some Old Testament statements. The first is Israel's pledge to obey Jehovah, Exodus 19:8: All that the Lord hath spoken we will do. The next statement concerns Israel's punishment should she fail to keep her covenant with Jehovah, Leviticus 26: 27-28: And if ye will not for all this hearken unto me, but walk contrary unto me; Then I will walk contrary unto you also in fury; and I, even I will chastise you seven times for your sins. Israel fell into evil ways. God, speaking thru Amos, one of His prophets, declared, Amos 9:7: For, lo I will command and I will sift the house of Israel among all nations, like as corn is sifted in a sieve, yet shall not the least grain fall upon the earth. The next statement, very significant, is found in II Kings 17:6: In the ninth year of Hoshea the king of Assyria took Samaria, and carried Israel into Assyria, and placed them in Halah and in Habor by the river Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes. Because of Israel's dependency upon Jehovah, as sheep were upon a shepherd, Israel were designated "His sheep." That Israel understood this relationship is evident in such Bible passages as Psalm 79:13: So we thy people and sheep of thy pasture will give thee thanks for ever: we will show forth thy praise to all generations; Psalm 95:7: For he is our God; and we are the people of his pasture and the sheep of his hand; Psalm 100:3: Know ye that the Lord he is God: it is he that hath made us and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. Scattered "among the nations like as corn is sifted in a sieve," Israel was lost, according to the Word of God in five different ways: To national union with God they were lost to the Mosaic covenant; they were lost to the signs of their identity, i.e. the land, the language, and the name "Israel"; they were lost to recognition among the nations; and they were lost to nationality. God had not cast away His people forever. He could not do so because of His promises, among the most notable of which are that Israel would never cease from being a nation (II Samuel 7:24; Jeremiah 31:35, 36) and that a descendant of David would rule over Israel forever (II Samuel 7:4,18; 1 Chronicles 17:7-15; Jeremiah 33:17, etc.). Finally, in Ezekiel 34 which I regard as the great "sheep and shepherd" chapter of the Old Testament, we find this statement in verse 16: I will seek that which was lost, a promise with a double fulfillment. It was partly fulfilled in Christ's life among men, the second fulfillment to occur at His second advent. At His first advent the Master declared, Luke 19:10: For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost. who was lost? The Master Himself answered the question. When a Syro, Phoenician woman implored Him to heal her daughter, He informed her, "I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel," that being His primary mission. If Jesus were sent only to the "lost sheep of the house of Israel," then who were they, and where were they within the scope of His journeying? Perhaps by ascertaining who the "lost sheep of the house of Israel" were not, using a process of elimination we may find clues to their identity and their where, abouts. Matthew 10:5, 6: Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not: But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. At the Temple, in Jerusalem, our Lord informed the Jews, John 10:26, 27: But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you. My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. Further the Jews have never been lost to their identity, the world knowing of their whereabouts since they came into being during the Babylonian captivity era. Inasmuch as the Gentiles, Samaritans and Jews were not the "lost sheep of the house of Israel" within the Master's and His disciples' scope of travel, then who were they and where were they? It must occur to every person who believes that Christ knew every facet of His earthly mission, and was true to it in every detail, that the "lost sheep of the house of Israel" may be located in the Bible narrative by ascertaining three facts, to whom and among whom Jesus concentrated His earthly ministry, to whom He taught His parables, and among whom He performed His miracles. At this juncture I would make one fact clear-the Master's primary mission, as already mentioned, was to the "lost sheep of the house of Israel." Yes, He came as God's only begotten Son to redeem (buy back) Jehovah's Israel, a transaction in which He paid the price of His blood for redemption, and to provide a way of reconciliation with God for such portion of Adam's seed as would avail itself of becoming thus reconciled through this atonement made by the Second Adam. A careful examination of His 37 miracles as recorded in the four gospels, reveals that 25 of them (67.5%) were performed in Galilee and in areas immediately adjacent thereto. Only six of them were performed in Judea. A similar examination of His 33 recorded parrales reveals that 14 of them (42.45%) were taught in Galilee and in territory adjacent thereto. Ten more were taught in Perea. Only nine of them (27.27%) were taught in Judea and environs. Under the Mosaic code of law all males were required to appear before the Lord three times annually. (Exodus 23:17). Hence, Jesus went to Jerusalem to comply with the law and to offer up Himself at Calvary. The six parables He taught in Judea therefore, were incidental to His journey to Jerusalem to attend the Passover. Nearly one and one third centuries before the advent of our Lord there was an acknowledged kinship between a segment of the Galilean populace and the people of Judea. This fact is made clear in the Apocrypha (I Macabees 4: 14-23). Because of the insecurity felt by the Galilean Israelites, they appealed to the people of Judea. Simon the Macabee was sent to Galilee (circa 165 B.C.) to bring the Galilean kinfolk to Judea. This feat was accomplished. Later (104,103 B.C.), the victorious Aristobulus I compelled the whole Galilean population to accept Judaism. It was a population which included Canaanites, Israelites and some Arameans (Syrians) and Itureans (Ishmaelites; Arabs?) and Greeks. Hence, the Galileans were not held in high esteem by the Jews (John 1:46; 7:52). It is interesting to note that the prophet Isaiah referred to this northern section of Palestine as "Galilee of the nations" (circa 740 B.C.), and it was in this area that the Master chose to concentrate His ministry in fulfillment of Isaiah's prophecy (Matthew 4:14,6) We do not know the exact ethnic nature and content of Galilee in the Master's day, but we may employ logical deduction. It is logical to believe that in as much as His mission and that of His disciples, was to the "lost sheep of the house of Israel," and in as much as His and their ministry was concentrated in the Galilee and neighboring areas, that the Israel population was of such extent as to justify His spending much of His time there. Further, we must also recognize the fact that all living descendants of the people of ten-tribed Israel were by no means in Galilee. God promised David through the mouth of His prophcet Nathan (II Samuel 7:4 and II Samuel 7:10) Moreover, I will appoint a place for my people Israel and will plant them, that they may dwell in a place of their own, and move no more; neither shall the children of wickedness afflict them any more as beforetime. (Incidentally, the Jews claimed Israel's old homeland, setting up a government there in 1948). It was in Galilee however, that the Master called His twelve disciples, all being Galileans with the possible exception of Judas Iscariot, whose name Strong's Concordance defines, "inhabitant of Kerioth", which place was in Judea. It is likely, therefore that Judas was a Jew. We find this interesting statement in the gospel of John 7:1: After these things Jesus walked in Galilee: for he would not walk in Jewry because the Jews sought to kill him. (A. V.) Following this, Jesus walked up and down in Galilee, for he would not walk around in Judea, because the Jews were trying to kill him. (The Berkeley Trans.) Ferrar Fenton translates "kill" as murder." It is clearly inferred in this passage that the Galileans were not of Judah extraction, even though they spoke a similar dialect. The dialect of the Galileans had more of a Syrian cast than that of the Jews. Hence Peter's vehement denial of the Master betrayed or uncovered his nationality. Some day possibly in the near future, He will gather all Israel when He comes. Then indeed the world will know the truth concerning God's Israel people. Isaiah 54:4-6: Fear not; for thou shalt not be ashamed: neither be thou confounded; for thou shalt not be put to shame: for thou shalt forget the shame of thy youth, and shalt not remember the reproach of thy widowhood any more. For thy maker is thine husband; the Lord of hosts is his name; and thy redeemer the Holy One of Israel; the God of the whole earth shall he be called. For the Lord hath called thee as a woman forsaken and grieved in spirit, and a wife of youth when thou wast refused, saith the Lord. Speaking through His prophet Hosea to Israel, Jehovah declared, I will also wed you to myself for ever; I will wed you to myself in righteousness and justice, and gentleness, and mercy, and I will wed you to myself in truth and knowledge of the everliving. Hosea 2:21 (Ferrar Fenton translation; verse 19 in A. V.). On that day it is quite possible that many persons will be wearing chagrined puzzled looks on their faces. May yours not be among them. Sermon for October 15th, 2000 New Christian Crusade Church
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