The Covenant of Ephraim

My friend, Perhaps this will be of interest.

Pesach or Passover' as it is well known, is the most significant festival recognized for the Yahudim the Hebrew peoples. Probably the most significant observance related to Pesach involves the removal of chametz (leaven) from our homes, if you are Hebrew.

However, this was dealt with for the gentiles the followers/ believers of "the Way" at the discourse in Antioch" with Peter and Paul in Attendance.

In simple terms, the Gentiles [Goyiim] were excused from the fleshly circumcision right away so as not to hinder their decision to convert to the Covenant ways of YAH'.Torah is taught over the course of the Year and somewhere along that time frame since they were being taught covenant ways they would naturally want to enjoy the full covenant and all its benefits.

Note: You will see in the Scrolls that when a man came into the covenant of Abraham, Isaac and Ya'akob with YAH'weh as their Elohim, they would immediately circumcise themselfs and their son's as part of the covenant.

Although they were to observe the feasts and Festivals unto the L-rd and learn of the Hebriac ways at the Temple and Shabbot meetings.

They were not excused from certain dietary and cleanliness tenants E.G.Eating of un-clean animals and eating of Blood.

The Hebrew people, even if they come to the recognition that YAHshua is the Savior of the world. Continue on the way they always have, Because these festivals are of great importance, and moreover the scrolls of Adonai state they are to be celebrated forever.

Note: If a Man/Woman of Jewish decent chooses to believe that The Man Messiah YAH'shua is in fact the long awaited Messiah ...They are considered to be out of covenant.

This Feast Pesach commemorates the fact that the Jews leaving Egypt were in a hurry, and did not have time to let their bread rise. For the gentiles who are wise enough to observe it, this is a symbolic way of removing the "puffiness" (arrogance, pride) from our souls.

The point of this exercise is this, It is very important that the teachers..(Rabbi’s) the Sagan Priests understand the basis of the covenant beginning. I only suggest that, as we serve the God of the Hebrews and the covenant the gentiles are in-grafted into has sorely been glazed over some writings regarding the feasts of the Hebrew culture may help in our understanding. Twice the Messiah went to the Gentile court and overturned the tables of Harlotry stating, "This is a house of prayer”. The main reason as I read it is this.

We Need Holiness and Integrity back into the teaching for the believers. We need a genuine understanding of the Covenant word and bring Maturity to the forefront of the Faith. The blessing you are enjoying, goes back to Genesis 48 when Jacob, "Wittingly" crossed his hands over and pronounced the Blessing onto Joseph's son Ephraim. Genesis 41:50 And unto Joseph were born two sons before the years of famine came, Which Asenath the daughter of Potipherah priest of On bare unto him. 51 And Joseph called the name of the firstborn Manasseh: "For God," said he, "Hath made me forget all my toil, and all my father's house”. 52 And the name of the second called he Ephraim: "For God Hath caused me to be fruitful in the land of my affliction." Jacob and all his offspring move to the land of Goshen in Egypt with Joseph, and Jacob (Israel) is near death and Joseph brings his two sons Manasseh and Ephraim unto Jacob. Genesis 48V3 And Jacob said unto Joseph, "GOD ALMIGHTY appeared unto me at Luz in the land of Canaan, and blessed me, V4 ...And said unto me, 'Behold, I will make THEE fruitful, and multiply THEE, And I will make of THEE a multitude of people; and will give this land to thy seed after THEE for an everlasting possession.' The Birthright Blessing Goes to Joseph's Sons ... Jacob (Israel) is preparing to carry over the Birthright blessing, which God gave him at ‘Luz.’ Notice the phrase 'everlasting possession'? This means even unto the eternity. There is nothing here about divine rule, as that belongs to the tribe of Judah. Genesis 48:5 And now thy two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, which were born unto THEE in the land of Egypt Before I came unto THEE into Egypt, are mine; as Rueben and Simeon, they shall be mine. 6 And thy issue, which thou begettest after them, shall be thine, And shall be called after the name of their brethren in their inheritance. In these verses, Jacob is bringing the sons of Joseph born to him in Egypt, into the National Name Israel.

Manasseh and Ephraim are to be figured among the twelve tribes of Israel. Since Israel is the Covenant Birthright Name, this same name is delivered over from Jacob (also named 'Israel' by God), to Manasseh and Ephraim.

G-d is giving us many hints at the conditions of 'names' dealing with heritage with this idea of Joseph carrying over the Name Israel. Genesis 48:13 And Joseph took them both, Ephraim in his right hand toward Israel's left hand, and Manasseh in his left hand toward Israel's right hand, and brought them near unto him....14... And Israel stretched out his right hand, and laid it upon Ephraim's head, who was the younger, and his left hand upon Manasseh's head, guiding his hands wittingly; for Manasseh was the firstborn. Now Israel (Jacob) had bad eyesight, but his right hand, which is for the elder firstborn blessing, was on Ephraim, the younger.

Then came the blessing Promise from G-d given through Abraham and Isaac and Israel: Gen 48V15 And he blessed Joseph, and said, "G-d, before Whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac did walk, the G-d Which fed me all my life long unto this day, V16 The Angel Which redeemed me from all evil, bless the lads; and let my name be named on them, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; and let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth." With this pronounced blessing, The covenant name of Y'israel is transferred to Yoseph's two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, With Ephraim the younger receiving the direct transfer of the 'Birthright Blessing, And will later also be called 'Israel,' being the larger of all the other tribes. In many places in the bible / Hebrew Bible (Tanakh) one will discover the names 'Ephraim, Yoseph,’ house of Israel, and 'Samaria.

This word 'Samaria' was the capital of the Northern Kingdom of Israel, with the other tribes included. Judah, Benjamin, and Levi, made up the Southern Kingdom of Israel, referred to in Scripture as the "house of Judah", or 'Judah. Gen 48:18 And Joseph said unto his father, "Not so, my father: for this is the firstborn; Put thy right hand upon his head." 19 And his father refused, and said, "I know it, my son, I know it: He also shall become a people, and he also shall be great: But truly his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his seed shall become a multitude of nations." .... Joseph is trying to correct his father's placement of his hands in the blessing, for he surly knows the proper way. However, The Master had a greater plan ...Ephraim the younger Son would become 'a multitude of nations' which is where the IN-Grafted gentiles into the vine come in.

YAHshua stated I am the vine you are the branches.... He is speaking to the Covenant people. Now think for a moment. If Ephraim was to become 'a multitude of nations... Which definitely means more than the State of Israel today, then which nations are they? Likewise, if Manasseh was to become 'a great people' and nation, Then they must also be excluded from today's land of Israel in the middleast.

This word 'nations' in v.19 is 'gowy' in the Hebrew meaning 'a foreign nation; hence, a Gentile'... Ah-ha their we are...(Strong's no.1471). A good question here might be, 'How can a people be figured as Gentiles and be called 'Israel' at the same time?" Well, we do not have a good trace on the lineage of Joseph's wife Asenath, the daughter of Potipherah, priest of the Egyptian city of On. Therefore, Ephraim and Manasseh are half Israelite (Joseph) and half Gentile (Egyptian). They are 'adopted' sons so to speak. So it was, and is, God's Plan, to scatter His People among the Gentiles, so they who believe on Yahshua as the covenant Messiah or as the world calls Him (Jesus THE Christ) might become also, the adopted 'sons of Yahweh, meshed in "one", of both Israelite and Gentile (Yochanan John 1/ Romans.8-9). Re-Member back to Adonai’s original Covenant Blessing to Avrahm, that 'in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed"(Gen.12: 3); And to Jacob "And thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth, and thou shalt spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south: and in thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed.” Gen.28: 14.

This obviously is much bigger than the land of Yisrael. If God's Word and Covenant Promise to Abraham are true, and we know it is, then many other Nations are involved. In addition, as we have seen with the 'Birthright' blessings to Joseph's sons, the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh are no longer just found in the Israel state but scattered abroad. This is just the beginning of YAH's Covenant Promise to Avrahm, that of the "Birthright" including Blessing of wealth, resources, health etc. Facts Revealed:

** When Jacob was on his deathbed, he made Ephraim and Manasseh equal tribes of Israel with all the other Children of Israel, which gave Joseph a double inheritance over the others. Any other children Joseph might have,. will inherit in the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh.

** Ephraim was placed ahead of Manasseh even though he was the second born because Jacob said that he would be the greater. It is also interesting to note that Ephraim is often used in reference to all ten tribes of the Northern Kingdom after the division of the kingdoms in the days of Jeroboam and Rehoboam after the death of Solomon. [See as an example, Ezekiel 37:15-22]

** Jacob told Joseph that El Shaddai had appeared to him at Luz (Bethel) using its former name and made promise to give the land of Canaan to the descendants of Jacob (the Children of Y’israel) as an everlasting possession.

** In his blessing given to Ephraim and Manasseh, Jacob tells of the faithfulness of the Elohiym of Abraham and Isaac, and how Elohiym had fed him all of his life to this day. He prayed that the Angel (referring to the Angel as G-d) Who has redeemed me from all evil would bless the lads. He placed the names of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob on both Ephraim and Manasseh. Moreover, made them a multitude in the midst of the earth.

** Jacob said, “I am dying, but Elohiym will be with you and bring you back to the land of your fathers”. Thus, Jacob expressed total confidence that God would certainly keep His word and deliver the Children of Israel out of Egypt and that they would inherit the land of Canaan.

** Jacob makes reference to conquering the land of Canaan in battle with sword and bow and dividing it among the tribes of the Children of Israel of which Ephraim and Manasseh are numbered. The Master is calling those who have sat at His feet, up higher at this time and is saying no more foolishness...to the rest of the Gentiles. Times and seasons are still very important, The scriptures declare He changes Not. I will leave you with this.... The Spirit / Ruach breathes life and is consistent in directing you. Therefore listen and you can hear the wind of His spirit directing you towards truth. For Yahshua stated "My sheep know my voice and another they will not follow". Yochanan 10: How can we study and know Adonai's character you may ask? Friend, "Study to show yourself approved" a good word given to Timothy, is as well a good word for you…immerse yourself in the written word and allow the Spirit freedom to rightly divide the truth from the interpolation. Simply said, read the written word, study and pray that revealing truth permeate you through and through. Sit at the Masters feet year after year in adoration, all the while pressing into the High call for your life John /Yochanan. Learn and understand the Torah, His law, His commandments, festivals and great celebrations as in Passover it is written that this should be observed forever, and even now, as the Savior is our Passover lamb sheered and slain once, for all humanity who acknowledge Yahshua.

You can have everything you require given right into your hands if you obey and do not play.

Faithfulness and obedience is absolute for those who come to trust and adhere to His ways.

Personally I enjoyed learning some of the talmudic interpolations one way is to befriend a local Rabbi or Check out Aramaic/Hebrew apologetics groups and discern with your heart the real hidden depths of His well. You will be challenged, however You will not be disappointed. The Question ... Would you really like to serve Him? . If so purity of heart and all thoughts must be in line with the “mind of Christ" or better to be said the Mind of the Master. I am sensing you have a desire to teach, Why you have read this far.

The Priest (Shaul) knew enough to teach us this;

"For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you have need again for someone to teach you the elementary principles of the oracles of YAH, and you have come to need milk and not solid food.

For everyone who partakes only of milk, is not accustomed to the word of righteousness, For he is a babe.

But solid food is for the mature, who, because of practice (Applying the principles of Torah-Truth) Have their senses trained to discern good and evil.” Hebrews 5:12-14

This is getting rather lengthy... Remember this KEY..."Accountability and the Abiding factor" from Yochanan/ John 15:v7,

 

I will hope youhave enjoyed your journey.

Salutations

As for us, we are a living testimony to Adonai's grace, mercy and restorative love.

In the Service of Abba, Father, Forever and a day As "We live and move and have our being in Him...

Jim & Terry Lee Hamilton ShekinahLifeCenter.com Oregon City, Oregon

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"Shema Yisrael Adonai Eloheinu Adonai Echad" - "Hear O Israel [Israel being another name of Ya'acob], the L-rd Our G-d, the L-rd is ONE!"

Satisfied that his sons were united in the service of God, Jacob proclaimed,

"Baruch Shem Kavod Malchuso Le'Olam Va'Ed" - "Blessed is the Name of His glorious Kingdom for ever and ever".

Today these two verses are said together, the first one aloud and the second one quietly, in the morning and evening Jewish prayer services.

 

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There is healing in His wings and provision in His ways.

 

 

"From Deep Well" Yahshua, clearly stated, and today continues to state "I Am”, the way, the Truth and the Life, Forever more. Moreover, and rightfully, He can, and should, He is the Lamb sheared and slain for the world, The only one worthy to loose the seven seals.

There is no time or space in Messiah; He is the beginning and the end of all things, For did He not say,” I was with Moses, and I was the One standing before Abram". Even with the most astute of us who continually search for a formula or method to greatness in God, He simply stated "I Am the Door". He could well have said; I Am' the gateway into the vast resources of Heaven. Yahshua told of the many Mansions in His Father's house Moreover, every room in a mansion is filled with treasures of great value, promise and sentiment, all acquired by love. Therefore, would you agree the greater gifts are in the vastness of the deep well of His love?

Together, lets look in theDeepWell.

Probably the most significant observance related to Pesach involves the removal of chametz (leaven) from our homes, especially if you are Hebrew in decent.

 

This Feast Pesach' commemorates the fact that the Jews leaving Egypt were in a hurry, and did not have time to let their bread rise.

For the gentiles it is also a symbolic way of removing the "puffiness" (arrogance, pride) from our souls.

 

Shalom Aleichem

 

SHALOM, BRACHOT v'AHAVAH B'SHEM MOSHIACH Y'SHUA= PEACE, BLESSINGS AND LOVE IN THE NAME OF MESSIAH Y'SHUA

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