3-3-2018    I Am Israel

    

                

                         Fighting the old nature    to become              a leader

Lying in my bed wrestling with some issues that, off and on, I have wrestled with for some time and doing some repentance, Father put Jacob/Israel on my heart.

If we know anything about these names we have come to learn that Jacob (1) means ‘supplanter’ also, according to Strong’s Concordance, Israel (2) translates ‘rule as God’.

When, in birth, Jacob seized Esau’s heel as they were being born (3).   It was an attempt (yet in the womb) to replace who would be his older brother.  It didn’t work.  Later, Jacob, with his mother’s (Rebekah) help, tricked his aging father (Isaac) into giving him the oldest sons blessing, which, did work.  And by the way, once done couldn’t be revoked (4).  Jacob was basically a wheeler/dealer much of his life but did get some payback in dealing with his father-in-law, Laban (5).  Then one night, as Jacob was returning to his homeland with his wives and family, he wrestled with a ‘man’ (6).  Jacob wrestled with God but did not give up.  He did not quit.  Because of this, God changed Jacob’s name to Israel and changed his character so Israel could rule in the power of the living God.  Interesting note: before “salvation”, while we are still living apart from God in this world, our character is one way but once we receive Jesus into our lives, our attitudes (character) change for the better.  At least, as long as we pursue Jesus, it does. 

The Lord showed me ‘sarah’ (7) and ‘el’ (8) as the root words for Israel.  ‘Sarah’ is to have princely power and ‘el’ is strength, great or Almighty (note the caps). That covers the ‘S’ through the ‘L’ so I asked Father about the ‘I’ and He said that means ‘me’, the individual, each and every believer.  I have the power of the Almighty!  In me!  In us!   As believers, WE have the power of the Almighty God living in us!  WOW!  Being Israel means that every true believer represents God (the Father) here on planet earth.  Because we have received Jesus into our hearts, we represent Him.  We have 

His power abiding in us!  We are the image of the living God as presented to the world.

 Jesus told His disciples that the Comforter dwelled with them and would be in them (9) and the Comforter IS the Holy Ghost (10).  While Jesus physically walked with them, the Holy Ghost abided ‘with’ the disciples through Jesus. After Jesus ascended, the Holy Ghost came and abided ‘in’ the disciples through the baptism.  Through our relationship with Jesus, the Holy Ghost takes up residence within us so, like the disciples, we can do the things Jesus did and greater (11).

Israel (1) means to “rule as God” and a closer look at the root words (Sarah & el) which imply as a prince, we shall have the strength of the Almighty.  Not to rule in the place of God, but rule as His ambassadors as we abide in His power here on planet earth.  To have dominion over that part of the earth He gives us.  We represent His love, in this world because Jesus resides in us through the Holy Ghost!  And in reflecting His love, we reflect His nature to the world. 

What Father showed me this morning is that I am ISRAEL!  All believers are Israel.  Obviously not the man, but just as Father changed Jacob’s nature, through salvation, He changes ours!  Changing our selfish nature to living in His true love (agape).  The indwelling of God’s Holy Spirit. 

If you will, Jacob/Israel is Lucifer (12)/Satan’s (13) anti thesis.  Lucifer thought he could raise himself up above God so Father cast him out of heaven and Lucifer became our adversary – Satan.  Jacob tried to supplant Esau from birth keeping Esau from his “birthright”.  But, as we know, Esau’s heart was not right with God and, because Esau had sold his birthright, God brought him down (as with Lucifer) and raised Jacob up to become Israel, the one who would rule in God’s authority because of his obedience. Lucifer was brought down to become Satan because of his disobedience, thinking that he was more powerful than the Almighty God and was cast out of heaven (14, 15, 16).  Because of perseverance to pursue and become obedient to God, Jacob was raised up to become Israel, God’s representative here on earth.  Lucifer was cast down to become Satan because of disobedience and Jacob was raised up to become Israel because of obedience. 

Satan has become the embodiment of man trying to raise himself up (as God) and Israel is become the embodiment of God raising man up to his rightful place.    

Jesus said the comforter is with you and shall be in you, dwelling, abiding, living and so He is through our salvation experience.  The Holy Ghost dwells within us so we are the embodiment of the power of God – in this world. 

Jesus is the fullness of the Godhead as He walked on earth.  Jesus is our head and, as His body, we are complete in Him (17).  So today, we are the power of the living God displayed to the world!  At least, we should be and can be through our obedience to His Word.

So, the power of the eternal God is within us, ergo we have access to His power.  Jesus also tells the disciples (us) that we shall receive power after the Holy Ghost is come upon us (18).  We just have to allow that power to operate in us and through us just as the disciples did over two millennia ago.  We anticipate the fullness of God coming into our lives, just as the disciples did in the upper room and yield to that power when it arrives, just as the disciples did.  And how do we receive that power?  We expect it and receive that infilling through the baptism of the Holy Ghost (19) then follow the leading of the Holy Ghost as we live our lives.

Knowing that the Holy Ghost is living within us and because of that we have the power of the living God within us, three passages begin to make sense.  Satan tells Adam and Eve they will be as gods, knowing good and evil (20).  This was when Adam and Eve were introduced to the concepts of abiding ‘in’ God (good) and rebelling against His authority (evil).  And, of course, all creation fell from innocence along with man. 

The Psalmist cries out to God as he felt God’s judgment among man was not just.  God declares man walks in darkness, even though He calls the children of the most High “gods” (21).  We are not children of the most High God because of disobedience, but because we come back into obedience (22).

Jesus reminds us that the law declares us ‘gods’.  Those to whom the word of God came (23).  In his innocence, Adam was called the son of God (24) but despite the fact Adam came to know the difference between good and evil, man regains his rightful place through obedience by being born again (25)’.  That is receiving Jesus into our heart (26) and then the power of God  comes by receiving the baptism of the Holy Ghost, just as the disciples did.

Note, in these passages referring to us, gods is “little ‘g’”.  We are not equal to or better than God, as Satan thought, but we are Father’s representatives here in this world and Father gives us His power and His authority to operate in His stead here in this world (27). 

Every believer, should then be living for Father, through Jesus Christ our Lord, because the Holy Ghost is alive, well and operating within our lives (as we are obedient).  As we grow in the Lord, because we are indeed the manifested power of the living God in this world, as true believers, we can all say “I am Israel!” 

References

1          Strong’s 3290              “Yaaqob” (Jacob), supplanter, circumvent

2          Strong’s 3478              “Yisrael” (Israel)  rule as God

3          Gen. 25:24-26             Birth of Esau and Jacob                     

4          Gen. 27:15-30             Rebekah and Jacob trick Isaac

5          Gen. chapters 29-31   Jacob and Laban

6          Gen. 32:24-30             Jacob wrestles

7          Strong’s 8280              “Sarah”

8          Strong’s 410                “el”

9          John 14:16-17              Comforter dwelling in us

10        John 14:26                   Comforter is Holy Ghost

11        John 14:12-13              we can do the works Jesus did and greater

12        Strong’s 1966              “Heylel”, (it’s root “Halal” – 1984) morning star, be clear, boast,

rave    

13        Strong’s 7854              “Satan” withstand, enemy of good,

14        Isa. 14:1-24                 The fall of Lucifer

15        Luke 10:18                   Jesus saw Satan fall from heaven

16        Rev. 12:7-9                  Satan cast out of heaven

17        Col. 2:6-10                   Fullness of Godhead in Jesus

18        Acts 1:8                       Receive power after Holy Ghost has come upon us

19        Acts 1:8-2:4                 To the upper room and receiving the baptism of the Holy Ghost

20        Gen. 3:4-5                   … you will be as gods knowing good and evil

21        Psalms 82:1-6             … have I not said you are gods, you children of the most High

22        1 John 1:9                    Confess our sins and God will cleanse us

23        John 10:34-35              … doesn’t the law say you are gods?  … to whom the Word of God

came

24        Luke 3:38                     … Seth was the son of Adam who was the Son of God

25        John 3:5-6                    … born of water and of t he Spirit

26        John 14:6                     … no man comes to the Father but by Me.

27        Luke 10:19                   I give you power … over all the power of the enemy