"Brit-Am Now"-653
Contents:
1. Brit-Am an encouragement
2. Question: Do the Jews Have a Legitimate Claim to Israel?
3. Should the Present State of Israel Have Used the term "Israel"?
1. Brit-Am an encouragement
(a)
Dear Mr Davidiy,
I have read all the books that I could obtain from Eddie Chumney. Your work has been a great encouragement to me.
My father is Scot/Irish/English and my mother a full-blood Swede. The Swedes came to America in 1863 and I am not sure of my father's side.
Thank you for your beautiful work.
From one of the many lost from Yisrael!
Marilee
Also please put me on your mailing list.
(b)
I am interested in receiving your news letter and being informed of changes in our world. I have read much of your web site and find it very interesting. thanks
2. Question: Do the Jews Have a Legitimate Claim to Israel?
Dear Sir,
I am an ordained minister in the .... Church and an avid student of the
Bible. In my research I come to a point in which I do
not have the means to answer a troubling question. I
have been ignored by many Jewish groups to whom I have
posed it. Will you please help me?
If the ten northern tribes of Israel were
dispersed throughout the world in 722 B.C. and the
southern nation of Judah was dispersed between 70 A.D.
and 135 A.D., then is it possible for any modern Jews
to be able to conclusively affirm that they are truly
from the geneological lineage of Abraham?
If a right to the land of Israel is predicated on
the covenant that God made to Abraham, then how can
anyone who is not assured of that intact, unpolluted
lineage claim Israel as their rightful inheritance?
I mean no disrespect to any person or people and
certainly have no malice or ill will against people of
the Jewish faith, I am simply trying to understand
something that I cannot fully understand. Will you
please enlighten me?
Rev. R
Answer:
Shalom,
The present-day Jews in Biblical terms are referred to as "Judah"
according to Scripture. The Land of Israel belongs to Israel and
Judah is part of Israel and is in fact representative of all Israel
as far as the Land is concerned.
Further Explanation:
That the Jews are "Judah"
is regardless of their origins.
I could argue in secular terms. I could say that an essential core of the
ancient Judeans is still in Judah etc.
I could also argue from the point of view of continued citizenship in a national body
e.g. an American citizen whose parents or great-grandparents were immigrants is not necessarily less
"American" than somebody whose ancestors knew George Washington.
Nevertheless the thing that really counts or should really count
is what the Bible says and that is what we will relate to.
That the Jews of today are definitely Judah according to the Bible is explained
in detail in at least three articles on our web-site:
"The Jews are Judah"
http://britam.org/judah.html
JUDAH, THE JEWS, AND JOSEPH
http://britam.org/judah2.html
WHY THE JEWS ARE "JUDAH"
by Steven M. Collins
http://britam.org/collins.html
See also:
Replies to Queries: Judah
http://www.britam.org/Questions/QuesJudah.html
Concerning the Land of Israel see:
Replies to Queries: The Land of Israel
http://www.britam.org/Questions/QuesLand.html
The Land of Israel according to the Bible stretches from the Nile to
the Euphrates and beyond. All of this should belong to Israel and one day will.
There is a central region to the Land which should be given priority
before the other parts. This region encompasses the present State of Israel
but is especially pertinent to the area of Jerusalem along with the regions of
Judah and Samaria (the "West Bank").
Judah at present in the Land is representative of all Israel and should be acting on
behalf of all Israel and occupying all the Land that it can, settling it, developing it
and in stages taking steps to evacuate the heathen Arabs and Philistines out of it.
"Joseph" should be doing whatever it can to help Judah in this.
Both Judah and Joseph should be strengthening themselves in Biblical values
and for those who are able they should be increasing and multiplying.
This was the first commandment given to mankind.
See our answer to the next question for a related topic:
3. Should the Present State of Israel Have Used the term "Israel"?
Question:
From: Weisman
Subject: RE: JUDAH vs ISRAEL
I recently learned that during the founding of the State of Israel they could not decide whether to call the country "Israel" or "Judah".
Do you think that they should have called it "Judah", as that would have been more appropriate? Just curious.
Avraham
Answer:
Your question touches on a theme that Brit-Am should develop further.
In Biblical terms "Judah" is part of Israel.
Sometimes the term "Israel" is applied to Judah alone
though in other places "Judah" is recalled as distinct from "Israel" meaning the Ten Tribes.
In Jewish thought "Israel" often represents the nationalist aspect of
the people rather than the religious-cultural one.
The early Zionists wished to renew the national characteristics of the Jewish nation
and that is probably one of the reasons why they preferred the name "Israel".
Judah today is that part of "Israel" that is recognized as "Israel" and that acknowledges itself as such.
Judah keeps (or should keep the law) on behalf of all Israel.
Judah should settle and develop the Land of Israel and keep it both for its own peoples and also
on behalf of the rest of the Israelite tribes when they return and re-unite with Judah.
"Joseph" and the other tribes should do all that they possibly can to help Judah in this task.
This is more than something that is just worth doing.
It is an obligation.
Isaiah (30:13-17) prophesied
that if Judah fails in this task it is liable to be punished
(God forbid)
and those of Joseph who could have helped Judah and did not will also be liable.
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