Just the name of Israel brings up many confusing and contradicting beliefs. This confusion really began with the advent of the theory of study known as Dispensationalism. This framework for interpreting Bible history and Jehovah’s grand outline of history was created by John Nelson Darby in the late 1800’s and then popularized by C.I. Scofield with the Scofield Study Bible. With this relatively new belief came the Pre-millenial Rapture. Rather than help clear up the issue of Israel, it seemed to add to the confusion. Let us try and outline the major elements of our ongoing study.
First, how can we group or categorize our study? I have tried to divide all the issues to discuss into three categories of the issue.
Ethnic Israel
Spiritual Israel
National Israel
Let us begin by trying to understand the purity of Israel from a purely ethnic perspective.
Is Israel comprised solely of descendants of Jacob/Israel? We should first remind ourselves of the great redemption out of Egypt.
Exodus 12:33 The Egyptians urged the people, to send them out of the land in haste, for they said, "We will all be dead."
12:34 So the people took their dough before it was leavened, with their kneading bowls bound up in the clothes on their shoulders.
12:35 Now the sons of Israel had done according to the word of Moses, for they had requested from the Egyptians articles of silver and articles of gold, and clothing; 12:36 and the LORD had given the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they let them have their request. Thus they plundered the Egyptians.
12:37 Now the sons of Israel journeyed from Rameses to Succoth, about six hundred thousand men on foot, aside from children.
The 12 sons of Jacob had grown substantially during their time in Egypt.
Genesis 46:26 All the persons belonging to Jacob, who came to Egypt, his direct descendants, not including the wives of Jacob's sons, were sixty-six persons in all, 46:27 and the sons of Joseph, who were born to him in Egypt were two; all the persons of the house of Jacob, who came to Egypt, were seventy. So from these 70 could all of these people have grown to over a million men, women, and children?
12:38 A mixed multitude also went up with them, along with flocks and herds, a very large number of livestock.
How many of this great group where from this mixed multitude is not known, but it is important to account for the fact that there were many from Egypt and other nationalities that had taken up residency within Egypt. There is also an important consideration when the family of Joseph is added to this group.
Genesis 41:39 So Pharaoh said to Joseph, "Since God has informed you of all this, there is no one so discerning and wise as you are.
41:40 "You shall be over my house, and according to your command all my people shall do homage; only in the throne I will be greater than you."
41:41 Pharaoh said to Joseph, "See, I have set you over all the land of Egypt."
41:42 Then Pharaoh took off his signet ring from his hand and put it on Joseph's hand, and clothed him in garments of fine linen and put the gold necklace around his neck.
41:43 He had him ride in his second chariot; and they proclaimed before him, "Bow the knee!" And he set him over all the land of Egypt.
41:44 Moreover, Pharaoh said to Joseph, "Though I am Pharaoh, yet without your permission no one shall raise his hand or foot in all the land of Egypt."
41:45 Then Pharaoh named Joseph Zaphenath-paneah; and he gave him Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera priest of On, as his wife. And Joseph went forth over the land of Egypt. 41:46 Now Joseph was thirty years old when he stood before Pharaoh, king of Egypt. And Joseph went out from the presence of Pharaoh and went through all the land of Egypt.
Not only was Joseph given great honors and responsibilities, he was also given a wife. Not just any wife, but the daughter of the priest of On.
Gen 48:1 Now it came about after these things that Joseph was told, "Behold, your father is sick." So he took his two sons Manasseh and Ephraim with him. 48:2 When it was told to Jacob, "Behold, your son Joseph has come to you," Israel collected his strength and sat up in the bed.
48:8 When Israel saw Joseph's sons, he said, "Who are these?" 48:9 Joseph said to his father, "They are my sons, whom God has given me here." So he said, "Bring them to me, please, that I may bless them." 48:10 Now the eyes of Israel were so dim from age that he could not see. Then Joseph brought them close to him, and he kissed them and embraced them.
48:11 Israel said to Joseph, "I never expected to see your face, and behold, God has let me see your children as well." 48:12 Then Joseph took them from his knees, and bowed with his face to the ground.
48:13 Joseph took them both, Ephraim with his right hand toward Israel's left, and Manasseh with his left hand toward Israel's right, and brought them close to him.
48:14 But Israel stretched out his right hand and laid it on the head of Ephraim, who was the younger, and his left hand on Manasseh's head, crossing his hands, although Manasseh was the firstborn.
48:15 He blessed Joseph, and said, "The God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked, The God who has been my shepherd all my life to this day, 48:16 The angel who has redeemed me from all evil, Bless the lads; And may my name live on in them, And the names of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; And may they grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth."
48:17 When Joseph saw that his father laid his right hand on Ephraim's head, it displeased him; and he grasped his father's hand to remove it from Ephraim's head to Manasseh's head. 48:18 Joseph said to his father, "Not so, my father, for this one is the firstborn. Place your right hand on his head." 48:19 But his father refused and said, "I know, my son, I know; he also will become a people and he also will be great. However, his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his descendants shall become a multitude of nations."
48:20 He blessed them that day, saying, "By you Israel will pronounce blessing, saying, 'May God make you like Ephraim and Manasseh!'" Thus he put Ephraim before Manasseh.
This is so much like with Jacob and Esau, the older will serve the younger. Notice how there will be a multitude of nations from his descendants. Remember these two sons were half Egyptian and half from Joseph, yet they will be important ‘tribes’ of Israel from this day forward.
We will continue our study of the ‘ethnic’ nature of Israel next Saturday.