Who is Israel?-6

We will continue our study of who is Israel. Last week we had family from out of town suddenly come here for the weekend and lost time.

The sons of Israel are clearly identified throughout the Old Testament.

Exodus 39:1  Moreover, from the blue and purple and scarlet material, they made finely woven garments for ministering in the holy place as well as the holy garments which were for Aaron, just as the LORD had commanded Moses. 39:2  He made the ephod of gold, and of blue and purple and scarlet material, and fine twisted linen. 39:3  Then they hammered out gold sheets and cut them into threads to be woven in with the blue and the purple and the scarlet material, and the fine linen, the work of a skillful workman. 39:4  They made attaching shoulder pieces for the ephod; it was attached at its two upper ends. 39:5  The skillfully woven band which was on it was like its workmanship, of the same material: of gold and of blue and purple and scarlet material, and fine twisted linen, just as the LORD had commanded Moses. 

Aaron’s robes were both beautiful but magnificent. God gave Moses His exacting requirements. They even had to hammer out gold to make golded thread.

Exo 39:6  They made the onyx stones, set in gold filigree settings; they were engraved like the engravings of a signet, according to the names of the sons of Israel. 

39:7  And he placed them on the shoulder pieces of the ephod, as memorial stones for the sons of Israel, just as the LORD had commanded Moses. 39:8  He made the breastpiece, the work of a skillful workman, like the workmanship of the ephod: of gold and of blue and purple and scarlet material and fine twisted linen. 

39:9  It was square; they made the breastpiece folded double, a span long and a span wide when folded double. 

39:10  And they mounted four rows of stones on it. The first row was a row of ruby, topaz, and emerald; 39:11  and the second row, a turquoise, a sapphire and a diamond;  39:12  and the third row, a jacinth, an agate, and an amethyst; 39:13  and the fourth row, a beryl, an onyx, and a jasper. They were set in gold filigree settings when they were mounted. 

These precious stones must have been dazzling in the daylight when Aaron wore them.

39:14  The stones were corresponding to the names of the sons of Israel; they were twelve, corresponding to their names, engraved with the engravings of a signet, each with its name for the twelve tribes. 

We know their names from an earlier accounting. Clearly, there is indeed a family named Israel that grew into the nation of Israel while in Egypt.

Genesis 35:22  It came about while Israel was dwelling in that land, that Reuben went and lay with Bilhah his father's concubine, and Israel heard of it. Now there were twelve sons of Jacob— 35:23  the sons of Leah: Reuben, Jacob's firstborn, then Simeon and Levi and Judah and Issachar and Zebulun; 35:24  the sons of Rachel: Joseph and Benjamin; 35:25  and the sons of Bilhah, Rachel's maid: Dan and Naphtali; 35:26  and the sons of Zilpah, Leah's maid: Gad and Asher. These are the sons of Jacob who were born to him in Paddan-aram. 

With this beginning, how could there be any confusion about who is the Israel of the Bible. That is unless we have failed to take into consideration that God values, insists, and commands obedience to be included in His family.

More next Saturday.