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Redemption by Fran Regan
08/15/2010
What does ‘redeemed’ mean to you? How do you understand it?
From a verse in our Haftorah Portion – Micah 5:6 – 6:8 – I received a whole new understanding, or certainly a much more indepth understanding of what it means to be ‘redeemed’. Micah 6:4 “For I brought you up from the land of Egypt (the world), and I ‘ransomed/redeemed’ (6299) you from the house of bondage (sin).” #6299: Redeemed - to sever, release, ransom, preserve, deliver, redeem, rescue The first definition of redeem is ‘to sever’ but it also means to preserve or deliver. “For I brought you up from the world and I severed (and then delivered) you from sin.” [a Messianic prophecy?] Yah is stating what He has done for us in almost (it seems) bewilderment and dismay and hurt at our lack of love and response and appreciation to Him. He asked, in Micah 6:3, “My people, what have I done to you? And how have I wearied you? Answer Me,….” He then made the above statement of v.4: “For I brought you up from the land of Egypt, and I ‘ransomed/redeemed’ (6299) you from the house of bondage.” It’s like He’s saying, ‘what more could I do for you?’ Which should tell us there is more to this statement than seems so on the surface. What does it mean to be severed and then delivered? To sever brings to mind branches. Severed branches bring to mind grafting into another. We are told we are the branches. By grafting us into the Olive Tree of Israel we become Israel, with all that it means to be Israel. To be Israel is to be in Covenant with the G_d of Israel. His Covenant is His Word. His Words are life. Sin we are told in 1John 3:4 is Torahlessness. By severing us from sin or Torahlessness, He is, by contrast, bringing us into (grafting us into) the Covenant (Torah) – which is our life. #6299 - padah – [pey, mouth = words, dalet – door/path, hey – life/breath] Words are the door or path to life. His Torah is life. “For it is not a worthless Word for you, because it is your life, and by this Word you prolong your days on the soil which you pass over (5674) the Jordan to possess.” Deuteronomy 32:47 #5674 – abar: ayin, beit, resh - to cross over, used very widely of any transition, In Webster’s Dictionary – the definition of Transition: a passing from one condition, form, stage, activity, place, etc. to another - (Is not being grafted from one place to another a transition – passing from one condition or place to another?) To take (or possess) our inheritance as Israel we have to make a transition/pass over (be grafted) from one place to another. The Word gives life. The Word is our inheritance. (Deuteronomy 33:4 “Moses commanded us a Torah, an inheritance of the assembly of Jacob.”) An inheritance can be ‘any characteristic passed on by heredity’. Our Abba left us His Word, through which we inherit His character, His holiness. But we cannot benefit from an inheritance we do not claim. We must understand and recognize and act on our inheritance. To possess the Word, to posses our inheritance, we must make a transition in our lives. The very act of redemption speaks of the reuniting of the two houses of Israel, for to be ‘joined to’ or ‘grafted in’, one first must be severed from or something else. Ephraim, without even knowing it, has spoken of the reuniting of the two houses every time they speak of redemption. They are predicting their own severance from idolatry and vain worship and return to the living El of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. They are speaking (even without knowing it) of being ‘grafted in’ to the Olive Tree of Israel, (Yah’s inheritance) which is an essential part of the redemption process. (And Part of Ephraim’s blindness.) [As far as Israel being Yah’s inheritance: Deu.4:20 states, “But Yah has taken you and brought you out of the iron furnace, out of Egypt, to be His people, an inheritance, as it is today.”] The number 1 definition of Redemption is severance; a separation from one thing or place to another. Before being ‘grafted in’ to a new place, a branch (person) has to be severed from another place. This is a picture of dying to our old ways and to the world (Egypt) – the place from which we were severed and become a part of the natural olive tree (Israel). And it has to be a complete severance. We cannot hang on to or continue in wrong traditions/beliefs while proclaiming to be Israel. It’s an impossibility. A branch cannot be partially hanging on to one tree while being grafted into another. So the first step in redemption is to be completely severed from our former way of life (represented by the wild olive tree), then grafted into the natural olive tree or else we die, for a branch cannot exist alone. It must have a source, a root to sustain it (The Root of Israel is Messiah Yahusha: “I Am the Root and Offspring of David…” Revelation 22:16; Revelation 5:5; Isaiah 11:10). It is actually the ‘grafting in’ or becoming a part of’ the olive tree of Israel, (Ephraim’s blindness) sustained by The Root, (Judah’s blindness) that is the object of - or what redemption is all about. We are preserved or delivered when we are grafted into Israel, as Yahusha is the Messiah of Israel. Israel is His people, His inheritance. It is for Israel He came and is coming again. As a further illustration, of the word redeemed (in two different forms) is used in Isaiah 51:10,11: Verse 10 “Was it not You who dried up (2717) the sea, the *waters (Rev. 17:15) of the great deep, (8415 from 6009) who made the depths (4615 from 1949) of the sea a way (1870) for the redeemed (1350) to pass over (5674)?” #1350 - ga’al: gimel, alef, lamed - to redeem, i.e., to be the next of kin and as such to buy back a relative’s property, marry his widow, etc. avenger, deliver, purchase, revenger Our ‘next of kin’ Redeemer/Messiah purchased us, paid our debt, restores us to our possessions, and makes a way for us through ‘the sea’ (peoples) The phrase ‘through the sea or people’ could denote a remnant). He brings His people (His remnant) through and out of the masses. (Again, a Messianic prophecy) But looking further at this verse: #2717 - charab, het, resh beit – meaning to desolate, destroy, kill, slay, dry up *‘waters’ according to Revelation 17:15 is peoples, crowds, nations, and tongues #6009 – to be #1949 – hey, waw, mem – huwm – to make an uproar or agitate greatly, destroy move from 2000, to put in commotion, disturb, drive, destroy #1870 – Derek – dalet, resh, kaph – a road, as trodden; a course of life or mode of action, eastward journey, pathway #5674 – abar: ayin, beit, resh - to cross over, used very widely of any transition, In Webster’s Dictionary – the definition of Transition: a passing from one condition, form, stage, activity, place, etc. to another “Was it not You who made desolate/slew the peoples, the nations of the *world, (was it not You) who made to be amongst the commotion/confusion, a pathway or course of action for Yah’s next of kin (remnant) to transition or be grafted in (to Israel)?” *[‘world ’being those rebellious/disobedient] [Other references from our Torah and Haftorah referring to Jacob’s seed, the remnant, waters and peoples: Numbers 24:7 “He makes water flow from his buckets, and his seed is in many waters….” Micah 5:7a, 8a “And the remnant of Jacob, shall be in the midst of many peoples, as dew from Yah, as showers on the grass…. “And the remnant of Jacob shall be among the gentiles, in the midst of many peoples…”] Yah severs us in order to graft us in – He makes a way through all the confusion of the nations - a work of redemption. Verse 11 “And let the ransomed (6299) (those who have been severed and then delivered or grafted in) of Yah return...” You cannot be truly delivered (grafted in) until you have been completely severed from the world. These are the ones that will return to Yah. They are the remnant; they are the redeemed. And they shall come to Zion with singing, with everlasting joy on their heads…” “…with everlasting joy on their heads…” takes us back to and makes a connection with Jacob’s blessing/prophecy over his son, Joseph in Genesis 49:26 [“The blessings of your father have excelled the blessings of my ancestors, up to the limit of the everlasting hills. They are on the head of Joseph, and on the crown of the head of him who was separated from his brothers.”] Micah, Isaiah, Moses, Jacob, (and Paul in Romans 11, as we shall see) are speaking of us (of Joseph) returning to Israel, to Zion, through the act of redemption. If one can be severed from one tree and grafted into the olive tree (Israel), it stands to reason that same branch can be severed from the natural olive tree and grafted back to a wild olive tree. Paul speaks of this very thing in Romans 11, our portion from the Brit Hadasha. Beginning in verse 15 “For if their casting away (breaking off/separation from - 580) is the restoration to favor of the world, what is their acceptance (#4356) (grafting back in) but life from the dead? (resurrection power – Ezekiel’s vision of dry bones) Redemption: Step 1 – severed from our former way of life & thinking, the world, pagan influence, tradition and practices -- completely Step 2 – grafted into the Olive Tree of Israel, becoming Israel, sustained by ‘The Root’ (Messiah Yahusha), Step 3 – Being in Covenant - the Covenant is Yah’s Word, our inheritance. As we become more obedient and compliant with the Word (as we grow and bear fruit), we become more like Him, take on His characteristics as His Word stays in us, which leads to life everlasting. [580 Greek– apobole – rejection, casting away, loss, from 577 – apoballo – to throw off, to lose, from 575, apo – denotes separation, cessation] [4356 – proslepsis – admission, receiving, from 4355 – to take to oneself, from 4314 – the side of, (where grafting would take place) pertaining to, by the side of, i.e. near to, usually with the association of place, time, occasion or respect which is the destination of the relation] We see the Greek is also connoting separation and then acceptance (or grafting in). Continuing in Romans 11….. “Now if the first-fruit is set-apart, the lump is also. And if the root is set-apart, so are the branches. And if some of the branches were broken off, (#1575 Greek) and you, being a wild olive tree, have been grafted in (1461) among them, and came to share the root and fatness of the olive tree, Do not boast against the branches. And if you boast, remember, you do not bear the root, but the root bears you! You shall say then, ‘The branches were broken off that I might be grafted in.” Good! By unbelief they were broken off, and you stand by belief. Do not be arrogant, but fear. For if Elohim did not spare the natural branches, (notice, natural branches were severed) He might not spare you either. (This is said after they have been grafted in, implying they can again be severed from Israel.) See then the kindness and sharpness of Elohim: on those who fell sharpness, but toward you kindness if you continue in His kindness, otherwise you also shall be cut off. And they also, if they do not continue in unbelief, shall be grafted in, for Elohim is able to graft them in again. (Reminds of Ezekiel 18) For if you were cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and were grafted contrary to nature into a good olive tree, how much more shall these who are the natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree?” “For I do not wish you to be ignorant of this secret, brothers, lest you should be wise in your own estimation, that hardening in part has come over Israel, until the completeness of the gentiles (Ephraim’s seed) comes in (returns home?) – *Genesis 48:19a below)). And so ALL Israel shall be saved,” (4982) (not just Judah – not just Ephraim – but ALL Israel) “as it has been written, The Deliverer shall come out of Zion, and He shall turn away wickedness from Jacob.” (Torah portion Numbers 23:21 “He has not looked upon wickedness in Jacob, nor has He seen trouble in Israel. Yah his Elohim is with him, and the shout of a Sovereign is in him.”) Paul says the secret is it’s going to take Ephraim’s seed (us) coming home for Judah’s eyes to be opened. If Ephraim is coming home, he recognizes Messiah and Torah are One and wants to be obedient. Ephraim recognizes his inheritance and is returning to it. When Judah sees Ephraim living and being obedient to Torah and coming back to the Land because of Yahusha, they will finally recognize Yahusha as their Messiah. - Blindness over – Paul says this is a secret. *Genesis 48:19 “But his father refused, “I know, my son, I know. He also becomes a people, and he also is great. And yet, his younger brother (Ephraim) is greater than he, and his seed is to become the completeness of the nations.” Continuing….. “And this is My covenant with them, when I take away their sins.” Isaiah 42:6 “I, Yah, have called You in righteousness, and I take hold of Your hand and guard You, and give You for a covenant to a people, for a light to the gentiles….” Yah is telling us that Yahusha is the Covenant, the Word made flesh. He is Torah. He is our inheritance. The Word is our inheritance; (Deu 33:4) Yahusha is the Word; (John 1:1-4,14) Yahusha is our inheritance. And He takes away our Torahlessness (sin) bringing us into Covenant. The word for ‘grafted in’ has the same root as ‘blessed’. (ref.:notes/Archie) With that understanding Genesis 12:3 states, “And I shall bless those who bless you, and curse him who curses you. And in you all the clans or families of the earth shall be blessed or grafted in. It was to Abraham in Genesis 12:7 that the promise of inheritance was initially made. Genesis 12:7 “And Yah appeared to Abram and said, ‘To your seed I give this land.”… “For as you (Ephraim) also at one time disobeyed Elohim, but now have obtained compassion through their (Judah’s) disobedience, So also these (Judah) have now disobeyed, that through the compassion shown you (Ephraim) they (Judah) also might obtain compassion (be grafted back in). For Elohim has shut them all (all Israel – Judah and Ephraim) up to disobedience, in order to have compassion on all.” 1575 Greek – ekklao - To exscind, break off [exscind: to cut out, excise, extirpate: to pull up by the roots, to destroy or remove completely, exterminate, abolish] 4982 Greek – sozo [sode zo] to save, deliver, protect, heal, preserve, make whole 1461 – egkentrizo, to prick in, to ingraft, from 1722 – a fixed position in place, time or state It takes two Greek words (1575 & 4982) to convey the meaning of the one Hebrew word, padah #6299, for redemption. With Hebrew being the original and inspired language, it indicates that redemption is both a severance (from the old) and a deliverance (grafting in to the new) leading to life & blessing (going under the Covenant, Messiah Yahusha & Torah) – a three-step process. Even in the Greek, ‘redeem’ carries the connotation of breaking off or apart, of separating. Gives new meaning to a “broken” man, doesn’t it? God must “break” us before He can fix us. The old adage, ‘If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’ doesn’t apply to mankind, as we’re all broke and need fix’in. If we’re not “broken”, we’re not “redeemed”, as we cannot become a part of Israel until we have been broken off or severed from our former way of life and beliefs. If we’re not redeemed, we do not change. Our nature/character changes only after we have been broken off the old and grafted into the new. Our nature will take on the characteristics of the ‘tree’ from which we’re growing or are attached to, from where our life source comes. The tree determines our character and our fruit. “By their fruits you shall know them.” …. “every good tree yields good fruit, but a rotten tree yields wicked fruit. A good tree is unable to yield wicked fruit, and a rotten tree to yield good fruit.” (Matthew 7: 16a, 17,18) Until we have completely broken away from our former way of life and living (come out of Egypt), we cannot be grafted into Israel. Our Messiah came for the lost sheep of the House of Israel (all Israel – Judah and Ephraim). We must first be severed from whatever is not ‘Israel” in order to be grafted into or become a part of ‘Israel’! We’ve just seen how all mankind has to be broken or severed. Yah is the Elohim of Israel. If we consider Him our El, then we had better be Israel. Israel is NOT a nationality. But Israel IS a people – Yah’s people. As Scott Dryer said, “There will be no Christians, Jews or Muslims in the Kingdom – only those who thought they were.” Jacob spoke his blessing over Ephraim…. Ephraim’s seed is the completeness of the nations. Paul stated the secret was when Ephraim returns home, the blindness of Israel will be gone. (There will be reunification/restoration of the two houses in Torah and Messiah Yahusha). His Father’s (Joseph’s) blessing spoke of him who was ‘separated from his brothers”, coming to Zion with blessing and “joy on his head.” From these two blessings comes a truth: Out of separation (‘from his brothers’ a picture of Joseph, also Yahusha) comes reunification/restoration (when Ephraim’s seed comes home) – from this father and son comes a picture of our redemption! (“…For Elohim has shut them all up to disobedience, in order to have compassion on all.”) We’ve all been separated/severed in our disobedience in order that we all may be grafted back in by Yah’s compassion - (TOTALLY UNDERSERVED TOTALLY GRACE). It emphasizes that Israel is Yah’s people and so we must be a part of Israel. We are redeemed or severed NOT FROM Israel (as the church so often says) but TO Israel. How much more sinister does this make ‘replacement theology’ toward not just Judah but to us all? “And so ALL Israel shall be saved.” This definition of redemption shows how the Messiah actually started the regathering of the lost sheep of Israel from the very point of Him (The Branch) being cut off on the stake (or Tree). He was ‘cut off’ for us. If we could not be severed from or die to our old ways, we could not be grafted into the new. We could not become Israel. To be severed is a blessing, if we continue in the process. But severance must take place before anything else can. As Paul said, “In everything give thanks for this is the will of Yah in Messiah Yahusha for you.” I Thess. 5:18 Micah 6:4 “For I brought you up from the land of Egypt, and I ‘ransomed you from the house of bondage.” “For I brought you up (chose you) from the world, (out of the depths of the sea or people – My remnant) and I redeemed (severed you) from the house of bondage (sin or Torahlessness), delivering/grafting you into a new life in Me (The Root, Messiah Yahusha) by coming into Covenant (Torah) obedience.” And in so doing, you become Israel, His people, His inheritance – you are redeemed. To be redeemed is to be Israel! One last point from Micah 6:5: “My people remember, please, what Balaq sovereign of Mo’ab counseled, and what Bil’am son of Be’or answered him, …..in order to know the righteousness of Yah.” This has puzzled me. I couldn’t quite understand this until I looked at it in the light of ‘redeemed Israel’. We know that Balaq counseled Bil’am to curse Israel so he could defeat them. Bil’am answered he could only speak what Yah put in his mouth to speak and that he could not curse who Yah had not cursed, or rage at him who Yah had not raged. And we also know Israel received only blessings. If we are ‘redeemed Israel’ (not just anyone who goes through the motions or calls themselves Israel – ‘Yah is not mocked’) but if we are ‘redeemed Israel’, there is no curse that can stand against us. (Numbers 23:23; 24:1) If we are ‘redeemed Israel’, we cannot be defeated. If we are ‘redeemed Israel’, Yah’s blessings are ours. This is guaranteed by the very ‘righteousness of Yah’. We know from Psalms 119:172b that ‘the righteousness of Yah is His Torah, His Word, His Covenant into which we are grafted. This guarantee is written in the very Covenant of Yah. PAGE PAGE 7
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